Setting Dusk
by CuriosityKilledTheSquirrel
Summary: Graduation has finally arrived, and for Bella, life as a vampire isn't as carefree as she expected. With a pack of angry werewolves, a vengeful vampire, and a mysterious bout of fainting spells haunting her, what's a girl to do but turn to Edward?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me._

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story._

**Hi, ya'll. I started writing this at a friend's request for a Twilight/New Moon fanfiction, but I only gave her one chapter. Soon, I found myself staying up until two every morning working on this, and it was screaming at me to post it, so, despite my promise to focus on my other story before I post any more, I give you the first chapter of Setting Dusk.**

"_The course of true love never did run smooth."_

-From _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ (I, i, 134)

Chapter One

_Tick…Tock…Tick…Tock…_

I looked up at the simple clock that was hung above the teacher's unorganized desk. The silence was unbearable, almost choking. I slid my teeth over my bottom lip and chewed impatiently.

_Tick…Tock…Tick…Tock…_

Next to me, Edward was drawing invisible circles on the soft underside of my arm, our hands held loosely under the table. I turned to him and sighed exasperatedly. He smiled gently, looking at me sympathetically. I leaned over to whisper something in his ear, but a shrill, earsplitting scream echoed through the classroom.

The entire class jumped up, an exuberant cheer filling the silence. My eyes widened, and the corners of my mouth spread into a huge smile. Edward laughed, pulling me up and into his arms. I pressed my face into his stone chest, breathing in his magnificent scent as he wrapped his cold arms around my waist.

"Finally…" I murmured, pulling away reluctantly. "It's over!"

He threw his head back and laughed, leaving me astounded as his perfect white teeth glowed like a model's. "You think this is long?" He leaned down to me, staging his whisper as a kiss to my forehead. "I've graduated so many more times than you."

I looked back up to him as he released me and took both of our book-bags in one fluid movement. Smiling as he pulled me out of the already empty classroom, I shivered with fear and excitement. It was finally over! No more tests or studying, no more stressing over projects that were due the next morning, and definitely no more time to keep Edward and I apart.

The halls were extremely packed as Edward put his hand on the small of my back to lead me out of the way of an over-eager sophomore. Papers were thrown everywhere, jubilant cries, deafening. I spotted Mike Newton and his girlfriend, Jessica Stanley, kissing by the front door.

I snorted. I couldn't help but feel responsible for getting them together. Over a year ago, Jess had called me asking for my permission to ask him to a dance. Then, that summer, they had separated, and less than a year later, they decided to give it another try. Now, they couldn't seem to keep their hands off of each other.

Edward handed me my raincoat, which had somehow appeared from nowhere. I thanked him and pulled it on. I gave Jess a quick pat on the shoulder, which she acknowledged with a muffled "Bye," and walked outside, pulling my hood up as my dark brown hair immediately reacted to the humidity.

I grinned as Edward pulled me to his car, a silver Volvo, and opened my door. I ducked inside to avoid the light rain as he sauntered around and sat in the driver's seat. "Guess what?" he said, that crooked grin tugging at his lips. "You are no longer a student."

I threw my head back with a relieved sigh. "This is true." I replied, raising a finger. "And by tomorrow, we won't have to deal with teachers yelling at us…" I paused. "At least for a few years."

He stiffened at my side. I pressed my lips shut and turned to the window. It was a soft subject for him and I knew it.

"I still don't think you should do it." His voice was low as he started the car.

I sighed. "I know you don't." A few more words came to my lips, but I held them back.

He pulled out of the parking lot smoothly, reaching for the CD player and turning on some jazz song. We were out of he lot and speeding down the road at eighty miles an hour within seconds. The car was filled with the familiar tension that came with the subject. "I mean," He took one hand off of the wheel to gesture with it. "You have your whole life ahead of you. If you would just walk away now, you could…" His gesturing hand grasped air as if the words could be picked out of the sky.

I liked it when he was like this, unable to finish his sentences or know what to say. It reminded me that somewhere, beneath all of his perfection, Edward was still just human. Well… mostly…

I put my hand on his shoulder, leaning forward and whispering, "You know I could never walk away from you, or from your family, or from everything I feel about you."

His lips twitched into a scowl. "I wish you would." His voice was so low and soft, it took me a moment to comprehend what he said. His eyes, almost black from going without feeding for so long, gazed out at the road painfully, though we both knew he didn't even have to look that way to drive.

I retorted with a voice almost as soft as his. "I _can't_" Leaning back, I turned so I was just slightly facing him. "I couldn't go every day knowing that I could've spent the rest of my life… death…" I corrected myself confusedly. "With you… I couldn't live with myself knowing that I threw everything away to-"

"You _are_ throwing everything away!" He interrupted, finally turning to look at me.

"I'm throwing away _nothing_." I shot back, accentuating the final word. "I'm throwing everything away when I think that even for a millisecond that you aren't worth it." I balled my hands into fists, resisting the tears that sprang to my eyes. "You… you can't imagine…" I sighed, throwing my hands into the air in front of me. "I love you, Edward! I can't imagine _not_ being with you."

"And neither can I!" he interjected desperately. "But…" His words trailed off for a minute before they came back at full force. "I don't want you to be like Rosalie!" The mention of his sister's name hit me like a hot bullet. "I don't want you to wake up one morning and realize you regret the decision you made! You have…" I must've imagined that catch in his perfect voice. "The choice to live your life or to be some…" He turned to the road and glared. "Monster."

"You are not a monster." I leaned forward and turned the music off.

"You're right." He sneered. "I'm a vampire."

It took me a moment to notice we were in the driveway of mine and Charlie's house. Looking from the house to Edward, I slid across the seat and wrapped my arms around him. He stiffened, but released the wheel and pulled me into his lap. He held me tight, pushing my curtain of hair aside to hide his face in the crook of my neck.

I almost jumped when he pressed his cold lips against the hollow of my throat. It was stupid; he did that all the time. I felt his breath waver on my skin, his hand groping its way to my neck. His lips parted slowly, caressing my pale skin with soft kisses. They made their way to a spot below my jawline and froze.

I furrowed my eyebrows. He pressed his mouth firmly, his lips parting hesitantly. I almost pulled away as an eerie fear washed over me, but I knew he wouldn't hurt me. It wasn't until I felt the blunt of his teeth against my throat that a sense of alarm shot through my chest. He wouldn't bite me; he loathed the idea, but the human instinct in me was still terrified. "Edward…" I whispered. He exhaled shakily, fisting the back of my shirt.

For a moment, nothing but pure fear pulsed through my veins, but he pulled his mouth away. He gave me a gentle squeeze and released me. I awkwardly made my way out, holding the door open for a minute.

"I'll… I'll pick you up at seven…" He said.

I nodded, whispering a good-bye and closing the door. He smiled sadly at me through the rain-caressed window. I raised my hand in a weak wave as he started the car again and backed out, driving away.

I let my hand fall as I turned and went into the house. Charlie wasn't home yet, I noticed, and I walked into the kitchen so my hands could find something, anything to keep busy. Pulling open the refrigerator with one hand, I pressed the other to my neck where he'd placed his lips. The skin wasn't broken, but I could still feel the cold of his marble lips pressed there.

Shaking the thought away, I pulled the hamburger meat, cheese, and tomato sauce out and placed them next to the stovetop.

While I cooked the lasagna, my mind drifted over everything that had happened since I had moved in with Charlie the year before, everything that had happened since my life got so much more confusing.

When I met Edward at school that first day, I was positive that he hated me. We somewhat became friends, if he wasn't angry or mysterious about everything. From then on, it had seemed like my life was always in danger. I'd been almost hit by a car and killed by some shady guys in the city among other things, but every time, Edward had come to my aid.

Somewhere between my near-death experiences and falling in love, I discovered his and his family's secret. They were vampires. Instead of feasting on humans, their instinctual diets, they left every other weekend to hunt animals in the mountains.

Edward and I were constantly in danger. When we went to Italy at the beginning of the year, he made a promise that I'd be turned like him, in other words, a vampire. When we returned, he and his family had a vote on whether to change me or not. The only two who disagreed were Edward and Rosalie. The others, Jasper, Emmett, Esme, Alice, and the father-like figure, Carlisle, agreed to accept me into their family.

So it was agreed. Carlisle, being the one in complete control of his instincts, would change me after graduation. I'd move out to live with them and adapt to their life and schedule. Now, with that just a day away, I was terrified. I didn't admit it, thankful that I was the only mind Edward couldn't read, and I didn't show it, but there was always that pang of fear before I fell asleep.

I'd never change my mind, though. Never.

"Bella?" Charlie opened the door and stepped inside, the sound of rain echoing in the otherwise quiet house.

"Yeah, Dad." I left my spot, bent over the kitchen table, and walked out to the living room.

"Smells good. What are you making this time?" He walked inside with a smile on his face, but I could tell it pained him knowing that this was the last time he'd come home to quality food in the oven.

"Lasagna. I know you like it, so I figured…" I trailed off, leaning against the doorway to the kitchen.

He nodded, grinning and setting his raincoat on one of the empty hooks. "You are the best chef that kitchen has ever met."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dad. There's a timer on that when it's done, so I'm gonna go get ready for tonight."

"Sure. Where are they taking you again?" he asked, referring to the Cullens' taking me out for dinner tonight to "celebrate" my last human night out. Charlie, unfortunately, only knew that it was a graduation dinner. Esme thought I should tell him, but Carlisle thought it best that I didn't.

"It's called 'La Bella Italia', down in Port Angeles?"

"Ah, yes. I remember now." He smiled and sat down in his favorite chair, reaching for the remote and turning on the t.v.

Smiling sadly, I started up the stairs and dodged into my room. I closed the door behind me, pulling out my CDs and slipping one that Phil, my mother's new husband, had given me into the CD player. It was some loud, screaming music, but it gave me something else to occupy my thoughts.

Shuffling over to my closet, I pulled the doors open and shifted my weight to my right, examining my choices. Eventually, I settled on a short, dark blue dress. I smiled softly as I stepped into it, knowing that Edward loved the color on me. I'd had another dress in that color, but it was extremely low cut. He would flip.

Stepping into the bathroom across the hall, I bit my lip. I rarely did anything with my hair, but I figured that tonight was special. I had about an hour, enough time to do whatever I wanted with my untamable hair, so I weaved my fingers through it. At first, I tried a simple French braid, but shook it out when my hair decided to rebel.

After several different hairstyles, none of which looked good or were convenient, I decided to just straighten my hair. Once I had, I pulled back my bangs and attached them to the top of my head with a rhinestone clip. Staring at myself blankly in the mirror, I could see that it looked better than anything else I had tried.

My heart skipped with fright when the doorbell rang. "What?" I nearly shouted, looking at the clock on the wall. It read seven o' clock, right on the dot.

I panicked.

"_Dad!_" I screamed. "Get the door!" I scrambled to my room, falling over the rug. "Crap." I muttered darkly, diving under my bed to find my shoes. I could hear laughter from downstairs and fumed. My hands grasped the heel to one of the shoes. I grabbed it and its mate, hitting my head on the bed as I quickly crawled out. I winced, muttering a string of curses under my breath.

I put the shoes on with hasty and fumbling hands. Tripping as I stood, I ran back to the bathroom to fix the mess of my hair. Luckily, the only major problem was that my clip had come out of place, spraying whisps of my hair across my forehead. "Bella? You okay up there?" Charlie called.

"Just a minute!" I yelled back, fixing my bangs back into their proper place. As I approached the stairs, I stopped and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself, but to no avail. There was another round of booming laughter, and now that I was somewhat focused, I could hear Esme's light chuckling behind it. That sent up a new wave of panic. "Them too?" I whispered to myself.

I reluctantly started down the stairs. I had imagined this walk forever, since I started watching romance movies with my mom. Every girl knows that walk: the guy's standing at the bottom, completely clueless; then, all of the sudden, the room gets silent as the girl starts floating down the stairs; the guy is put into some goofy looking trance as she comes down with that I'm-hot-and-I-know-it air about her; she slips into his arms as he looks into her eyes with awe. Yeah, that one.

_This_ walk was completely different. I must've looked completely flushed and embarrassed, my cheeks as bright as cherries. To make it worse, as I was moving to walk over to the small crowd in my living room, I tripped, causing my blush to spread across my face.

Edward smiled, not that awe-struck smile, but that nice-to-see-you smile. That slowed my frantic heartbeat slightly, but made it flutter all the same.

"You look beautiful." Esme murmured softly, hesitating just slightly before tucking my hair behind my ear. Her smile was comforting to my frantic nerves. That motherly, loving smile brought back memories of me and Renee. I felt the early beginnings of tears in my eyes, so I shoved the bitter-sweet memories aside.

Charlie choked on the drink he had been sipping when he got a good view of the dress I was wearing. He said nothing about it, and I was grateful, but I could see from the look on his face that he didn't entirely agree. I felt my cheeks get hot, and turned away from his stare.

"Hello." I said, suddenly shy.

Carlisle took a step towards the door. "Thank you for your time and your daughter." He said, motioning to me. "I hope to see you again, Chief Swan." He grinned one of his dazzling smiles and wrapped his arm around Esme's waist.

Charlie nodded and Edward took my hand, leading me out. "We'll have her back before ten!" he called over his shoulder. The door closed behind us and I saw Edward's Volvo parked in the driveway next to my beaten up old truck.

Edward, as far as I could see, had returned to his normal self. He squeezed my hand gently before opening the back door and helping me in. Esme slid in beside me on the other side while Edward sat in the driver's seat and Carlisle beside him.

"Well, Bella," Carlisle began as Edward started the car and pulled out smoothly. "How are you doing, seeing as you've finished high school?"

I smiled and opened my mouth to say something, but thought about what Edward had said. "It's not as great as I expected." I lied, twisting my hands in my lap.

"Are you nervous, dear?" Esme asked, placing a cold hand on my bare shoulder. Of course she noticed, they notice everything.

I decided to be honest and swallowed. "Somewhat."

Her voice got softer and I wondered if she meant for the whole car to hear. If she was or not, I could tell by the way Edward stiffened in the front seat that he heard either way. "About now or…tomorrow?"

I looked up into her warm eyes. And I lied again. "Just now." I managed a smile. "These heels are murder in shoe form, so I'll probably break my neck."

She didn't seem to really believe me, but she smiled and leaned back comfortably.

The car got strangely silent. Now was one of the only times I wish Edward knew what I was thinking so that he'd say something, anything. Finally, Carlisle cleared his throat to speak. "You know, Bella, I had a patient in the hospital today." I nodded and added an _mm-hmm _for encouragement. "It scared me half to death; she looked just like you." He laughed. "I even called up Edward in the middle of class to tell him you were hurt, but he said you were fine."

I looked at Edward, who was smiling. "You didn't tell me anything about that."

He chuckled. "It didn't seem important."

I furrowed my eyebrows, turning to watch the towns blur behind the window. I opened my mouth to ask the normal small talk question, "So, what are you guys going to order?" but clamped my mouth shut before I even got the first word out.

As if echoing my thoughts, Carlisle said, "What are you planning on eating?"

"Um," I suddenly felt small and weak. I was in a car with three vampires, and they were asking me what I was going to eat for dinner. I couldn't help but wince at the irony. "I was planning on getting what I got with Edward last time we went: mushroom ravioli. It was pretty good."

Esme smiled next to me and leaned forward to say something to Carlisle. "Do you think we should order?" I know she only meant for him to hear, but I couldn't help but blush.

He turned his head towards her, but I was shocked when he spoke to me. "What do you think, Bella?"

I could feel the heat rising to his face, and Edward muttered something to Carlisle. "I… I don't know. I guess that's not my choice…"

"Well, would you feel on the spot if you were the only one eating?" Esme whispered something to him, but he looked straight at me.

I thought back to the first time I'd gone there with Edward, after my shopping trip with Jess and another girl from school. He'd stared at me intensely, watching every move I made and every bite I took. That along with our intense conversation made it really hard to eat. I expected nothing different of tonight.

"I- I guess so." I managed, twisting my hands in my lap even more.

"Well, then, we want to make her comfortable." He said, speaking to Esme again. "So we won't make her feel like she's being stared at."

She leaned back, seemingly unsatisfied. I blushed and turned to look back out the window. It was chokingly quiet for a while. I could barely breathe in the pressuring, suffocating atmosphere. Suddenly, Edward spoke up, saving me from drowning. "I think I'll have what Bella's having."

It was if that had decided it. The conversation was closed, and I felt somehow protected. Edward suddenly made a sharp turn, and I looked out the window. Rosalie's car was parked beside us, I noticed as I climbed out clumsily.

Edward was immediately at my side, pressing his palm against the small of my back as we walked towards the restaurant. Esme and Carlisle were whispering about something behind us, and as much as I strained to hear, they were talking, intentionally, too low. We walked inside, embracing the cool air.

A petite waitress bounced up to us, a couple menus in her arm. "Hi, I'm Becky. Can I get you a table? For two?" Carlisle and Esme walked in behind us and Carlisle put a hand on Edward's shoulder. Becky's smile wavered for a moment, but she immediately recovered. "Four?"

"Actually, we're here to have dinner with our family. Under 'Cullen?'" Carlisle smiled one of his dazzling smiles and I swear the waitress almost fainted.

"Um, yes." She stammered for a moment, looking at some seating chart at the front podium behind her. "Oh, of course, right this way." She seemed less "bouncy" as she led us through a sea of tables and booths. Eventually, we were led to one long table in the very back. I could make out the back of the rest of the Cullen coven, leaned over each other in quiet conversation.

"Hello." Esme almost sang as she took a seat on the other side of the table, leaning back as Becky placed a menu in front of her.

Alice, who was seated with Jasper on her right and Rosalie on her left, looked up with a gaze that could only be labeled as surprised. "Hi, guys." She folded her arms on the table in front of her as Edward led me to the chair across from Jasper and sat on my right.

"Is this everybody?" Becky chirped, rocking back on her heels. You could see it in her eyes that she was slightly uneasy at being around so many stunning people at once. "Would you like to order something to drink?"

"Water, please." Esme said, smiling warmly at her.

"I'll have water too." Carlisle turned to Edward.

"Sweet tea." After I ordered my coke, the rest started a trend of asking for water. Becky took the orders with a nod, bounding off when we were finished. Once she was out of sight, Edward all but burst into laughter. The rest of the table looked at him like he was crazy. He grinned mischievously. "She thinks Bella and I are the only sane ones here." We all smiled, but no one laughed quite as loudly as he had.

"So, Bella, are you packed?" Alice asked. She ran a graceful hand through her dark, pixie-cut hair. "We've got your room all ready."

"You fixed my room for me?" I was surprised, but the feeling didn't last for long. They didn't sleep, so I guessed they did it at night to keep themselves busy. A new waitress came, one with shoulder-length hair. She had a tray of drinks balanced in her hand.

"How're ya'll doing tonight? I'm Sarah, and I'll be your waitress for tonight." She smiled and began placing the drinks in front of their correct owners. Her voice had a sweet southern drawl to it, and her brown eyes sparkled when she spoke. "What can I get ya'll tonight?" She took a small pad from a pocket in her black apron and pulled out the pen that had been tucked behind her ear.

I could tell that the rest of the family was surprised when Esme and Carlisle ordered, and then Edward, but they recovered in time and quickly picked something off the menu at random. Sarah, like Becky, took note of everything with a nod and a smile and then parted when she had everything.

"Actually, Rosalie planned everything out. We just moved stuff into place." Alice looked at the woman in question, who had turned her head away and picked the water up, swirling the liquid nonchalantly. "I think you'll like it, Bella."

"Thanks, guys." I said with a smile. "I'm sure I will."

"Yeah, we didn't want you to feel awkward when you first moved in, so Rosie went right to color coordinating and sewing." Emmett spoke up with a proud grin.

I heard an angry grumble from Rosalie that sounded extremely similar to "I told you not to call me that in public." I heard Edward stifle a chuckle next to me and I couldn't help but smile when the blonde looked up at her husband with a glare.

"I didn't know you could sew." I commented, leaning over to take a sip of my coke. The liquid was sweet and fizzy on my tongue.

She turned to look at me, and her caramel eyes hesitated before she decided to respond. "I picked it up a few years ago." I knew when she said "a few" that she meant about seven or eight, but I didn't acknowledge it. "I actually major in fashion and design when I go to college." She laughed softly. "And a minor in mechanic engineering."

"You should see our closet." Emmett grinned. "I have about four shirts and four pairs of pants, and everything else is hers. We have to struggle to close it every morning."

I noticed a tiny smile forcing its way onto Rosalie's lips as she hit him playfully. I liked watching her try to hide that little smile. It reminded me that even though she would sometimes treat me coldly (less so since our trip to Italy), and she resented being a vampire with the sheer essence of her being, that it was her love for Emmett that got her through the day. He, even when she was trying to be angry and distant, could make her smile.

I nearly jumped when I felt Edward's ice-cold hand sliding discreetly onto my bare knee. A sense of relaxation washed over me, and my hand ducked under the table to cover his. I looked at him and saw a mischievous smile twitching at the corners of his lips. He winked at me, so quickly I barely caught it, and I found myself trying to hide a smile, just like Rosalie.

After a while of talking and laughing, always managing to dance around the subject of tomorrow without actually touching it, Sarah brought us our food. I could tell that when they looked down at it, my almost-family wasn't too excited about it, but after a moment of hesitation, Edward came to my rescue once again and was the first to eat of his meal. Then everything seemed to fold in seamlessly. Carlisle ate a forkful of his, and then the rest of the family followed suit.

I hesitated for a moment before I plunged my fork into my food to watch their reaction. The awkward silence had passed and Edward and Alice were debating on the pros and cons of the violin and piano. They didn't seem too disgusted or too delighted. When the conversation turned to Alice trying to explain to Emmett something about string instruments, I took a deep breath and leaned over to Edward, whispering into his ear, "Is the food absolutely horrible?"

I could tell he noticed the worried tone in my voice, because he smiled encouragingly and gently squeezed my knee. "It's fine, just bland." He leaned down so that his lips brushed my ear when he spoke, causing shivers to shoot through my spine. "And a little crunchy."

I covered my mouth with my hand as I laughed softly, shaking my head as he pulled away. Returning to my meal contentedly, I gracefully weaved my way into the conversation. The more I watched, the more I noticed that they only took very tiny bites, and a bit of guilt would tug at my chest, but then someone at the table would crack some stupid joke and I couldn't help but laugh.

We left around nine, and I noticed as Edward was leading me out, his hand on the small of my back again, that their plates looked like they were barely touched. Edward's and Carlisle's were the only ones that even looked eaten off of.

"Did you have a good time?" Edward asked as he opened the passenger's side door so I could climb in. Carlisle and Esme were driving home with Rosalie and Emmett so Edward and I could have a bit of privacy.

I shrugged. "I'm starting to wish I'd told Carlisle not to order." I paused. "Or that he'd just taken us bowling or something." I waited while he smiled sympathetically and closed my door, walking around and climbing into his own seat. I continued as He started the car. "But over all, it was pretty fun."

He grinned, pulling out onto the main road at a ridiculous speed. "Good. They'll probably be attacking me when I get home." He cleared his throat and imitated Alice's musical voice. "'She didn't feel too uncomfortable did she? Was she nervous?' She always interrogates me after you come over."

"Well, I'd rather her interrogate you than to not say anything at all." I pulled my seatbelt across my body and tucked it in securely.

"Yeah, I guess so." He leaned back comfortably, taking one hand from the steering wheel to place it on my knee again.

We were resting in comfortable silence for a while, just listening to soft jazz and watching the scenery blur by. I could close my eyes and listen to him just barely singing along to the music with his perfect velvet voice.

Suddenly, he smirked and looked at me. My eyes, which had been closed, snapped open at the pressure of his gaze. "What?" I breathed.

He chuckled, shaking his head and turning back to the front. "I was just thinking." His black eyes took on an almost glazed look, one I'd never seen on him. "I can't wait until I can just pull you into my arms and kiss you long and hard. I'm not going to have to worry about holding you too tight or having to control my hunger." He looked back at me, his eyes almost sad. "I'm gonna take care of you for the rest of your existence, Bella Swan, I promise."

I could feel the tears ripping at my core. "I know." I sniffed, banishing any thoughts of crying. "And what's this I hear? Is Edward Cullen looking forward to my transformation?" I gasped and put my fingertips to my mouth in mock surprise. "It couldn't be!"

He sneered. "Ha ha. Very funny. I was just saying that it'll be nice to be able to be with you without having to worry about hurting you every minute."

I smiled. "I know, Edward, I'm just kidding." And we were quiet the rest of the way. I shifted over so I could be closer to him, and he wrapped his marble arm around my waist securely. We basked in each others' presence, just enjoying the company.

My happiness depleted when he pulled into my driveway. Like before, I ungracefully snaked my seatbelt off and pulled myself into his lap. He curled me tightly into his arms, but he didn't put his lips to the hollow of my throat like he usually did. I shrugged that off as he kissed my forehead and released me, leaning over to open my door for me. "I'll be there in a minute, okay? Go ahead and get ready for bed. I'm just gonna drop this off and run back."

I nodded and climbed out awkwardly. He drove off with a wave, and I reluctantly turned and walked inside. Charlie had fallen asleep in front of a baseball game. I smiled as I walked up the familiar stairs, pulling out a pair of pajama bottoms and an old t-shirt. Getting through a shower and brushing my teeth as quickly as possible, I pulled them on.

When I walked into my room, there he was, flipping through one of my Jane Austen books. I leaned against the door frame and waited for him to notice me, which took longer than it usually did. When he finally did look up, a broad grin spread across his face. "Hey, beautiful."

There was something that always made me angry when he called me beautiful. It always made me think, _Why would he think I was beautiful when he sees a goddess like Rosalie every day? _Somehow, it frustrated me, and then he'd look at me with those stupid, perfect eyes and I'd forget all about it.

I looked down, almost embarrassed, and shuffled over to his spot in my chair. I held my arms out like a baby and he gladly pulled me in, settling my fragile body into his lap.

Resting my head against his cold chest, I breathed in his magnificent scent. He smiled softly when I sighed contentedly and took to stroking my back with his thumb. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest. Taking a shaky breath first, I murmured into his shirt, "I _am_ nervous, though."

He laughed shortly. "I'm just proud that you're so brave. Most humans would be having a panic attack right now."

I smiled, and that was the last thing I remembered before I fell asleep in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me._

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story._

**Hey, ya'll, I'm back! It is summer and I am ready to write. Woot! Sorry it's taken so long. End-of-the-year projects to teaching Vacation Bible School to vacationing with my overeager parents, I haven't even gotten the chapter I wanted to get out for my other story. Suck. But here you go, chapter deux! **

Chapter Two

Something was _not _right.

For one thing, Edward wasn't by my side when I awoke, much to my disappointment. Normally, he'd be sitting there in my chair, waiting for me to wake up. Today though, when I shot up, he was gone, not a note or anything.

Secondly, when I called his phone, it went straight to the answering machine. By now, I was having a slight panic attack, wondering frantically if he decided to leave me before I was changed. I tried Alice's phone then, and much to my relief, she picked up and assured me that Edward hadn't abandoned me. There was a slight sense of apprehension in her voice, though, and I didn't like it.

Third, he didn't pick me up for graduation, Alice did. He wasn't there among the sea of excited seniors, along with Emmett.. Only Rosalie and Esme were looking up at Jasper, Alice, and I on the stage.

Which brings me to now.

"Jasper Hale." The principal announced. The vampire loped across the stage, his grace and ease jealousy inducing, and took his diploma with a shake of the principal's hand. I wondered idly about how many diplomas he had received before.

Standing on my toes, I looked out at the crowd, straining to see over the mass of other students. My eyes landed on my soon-to-be mother and sister-in-law. They seemed calm enough, if you didn't know the Cullens well, but I could see Rosalie's lips moving soundlessly and quick, and Esme's hands writhing in her lap.

The small crowd of seniors slowly dwindled, and it wasn't long before I heard my name spoken into the microphone. The syllable of my last name echoed off of the gym walls and I stepped forward, focusing on my feet so as not to trip. Somehow, I succeeded in making it across the stage without stumbling, and only faltered as soon as I was out of sight and the next name was being called.

The rest of the ceremony went by slowly, and every few minutes, I'd crane my neck to see if the rest of the Cullens had arrived, but every time, the seats next to Rosalie were empty. When the principal made his final statements, I dashed off the stage, nearly tripping over the stairs, and made my way through the crowd and towards Esme.

"What's going on?" I asked as she pulled me into a stone hug. She smelled wonderful, and her cold, loving hands pushed back a rebellious lock of my hair.

"Nothing." She murmured, releasing me with a smile. I envied her brilliantly white teeth.

"I don't believe you." I dared to say. Jasper and Alice were at my side now. "Where are the other guys?"

I saw Esme toss a nervous glance towards Alice, and the girl piped up. "We'll tell you about it in the car."

I didn't want my question to go unanswered, but Charlie was quickly approaching, his arms open for a large hug, and a video recorder strapped to his hand. He enveloped me in a light, almost hesitant hug. "Congrats, Bells. You're all grown up now." He was in his work uniform, probably anxious to go, but wanting to stay for me.

I squeezed his shoulders tightly. "Not all grown up, Dad. I'll still call you in the middle of the night complaining about a bad dream." No I wouldn't. And even if I did, he wouldn't even recognize my voice.

But it seemed to be enough for him. He released me with a grin. "Well, your bags are in Alice's car. I've got to get to the post office and mail this," He tapped the recorder. "To Renee before my shift starts. Call me when you get settled in."

I smiled sadly, remembering how much arguing it took for him to allow me to stay with Edward and the Cullens. He had been furious about the motorcycles, screaming, throwing a fit, and blaming Edward for everything. He had finally given up when I reminded him that it was Jacob whose influence I was under when I bought them. As of now, they were safely hidden in the Cullens' car garage.

I nodded. "I'll try." And waved as he left with a smile. I could feel the tears jerking at my eyes, but I quickly forced them away, allowing myself to be led through the crowd of jubilant parents and friends by Esme.

My bags were, as Charlie had said, tucked safely in Alice's trunk. I took a seat in the front next to Alice while the remaining three sat in the back contentedly. "Now," I began, ready for my answer. "Where is everyone?"

I heard Esme hesitate from the backseat, but Alice spoke up, the speedometer slowly inching to eighty. "Victoria showed up at your place last night while you were sleeping." Uh-oh. The vampiress' blood red eyes filled the haunted memories of my mind. "I don't think she expected Edward to be there, but he obviously was and got her far enough away from you that she ran off."

"So- so he and the others are…" My voice didn't sound so brave anymore, and I could almost feel Rosalie rolling her eyes in the back seat.

"Disposing of her." Alice finished for me with surprising ease. I saw her hand clench and unclench on the steering wheel, and I pondered if she cared as much about me as Edward did.

Probably not.

The rest of the ride continued in silence, the weight of Alice's words pressing down on me. I noticed, with disappointment, that Edward's Volvo wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Are you ready to see your room?" Jasper asked, opening the trunk and pulling out my two bags with unnatural ease. Sometimes, his ability to make people relax came in handy.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" I smiled, letting Alice drag me inside. Behind us, I noticed Rosalie link her arm with Esme's, leaning her head on the woman's shoulder.

Alice pulled me inside and up the stairs happily, moving to a room I hadn't noticed any of the other times I had been here. The door was closed, and Alice released me to stand in front of it. "Now, we know you'll probably move in with Edward whenever you guys get married, but we wanted to do something for you seeing as, well, we're killing you." She smiled, but I could hear the pain in her musical voice.

I nodded, and out of nowhere it seemed, Esme put her hand on my shoulder. Alice squealed and pushed open my door, and my jaw almost dropped.

It truly was gorgeous. I stepped into my room in awe, my head tilting in all directions to take it all in. The walls were a deep blue, reminding me of a shirt Edward loved, with swirls of silver seemingly dancing across them. The only furniture was a grey couch, a rocking chair much like mine in the far corner, and an armoire. The most beautiful thing, however, was the back wall. Like the rest of the back of the house, it was made of glass, and I could see the river, decorated with splatters from the rain, down below.

"It's amazing…" I breathed, shuffling over to the rocking chair and brushing my fingers over the detailed wood. "Thanks, you guys!" I looked up, making sure that Rosalie understood who my thanks was really pointed at. She had looked away, but I saw a smile tugging at the corners of her perfect mouth.

Suddenly, a door closed downstairs, and not a second later, Edward was dashing into my room at an inhuman speed, picking me up and swinging me playfully. "Bella!" He laughed at my shocked face. This happy side of him was extremely rare, and I didn't decide to ruin it by demanding he put me down. He squeezed me, his eyes becoming gentler. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the graduation."

I shrugged, knowing he understood how I panicked that morning. "It wasn't anything interesting."

Grinning, he slid me down. I saw Esme looking at him intently, and began to worry when he shook his head grimly. I could only wonder what he was telling her.

But his happy demeanor quickly returned and he began asking me about how I liked my room, each question answered with a "Yes, I love it." and a grateful smile.

"Are you hungry, Bella?" Carlisle asked from the doorway, where he stood with his arm around Esme's waist.

"Nope." I shook my head. He smiled knowingly and gave me a look that seemed to say, "Soon." I nodded, not sure to what, and turned back to Edward, who was opening one of my bags, which had been laid on the couch, and pulled out a few shirts, walking to the closet.

"Wait!" Alice danced over, putting a hand on the closet door. "We have another surprise for you."

I froze, suddenly aware of what she was implying. "Alice…"

She pulled open the door, revealing at least a half a closet filled with brand new clothes, the tags still attached. My jaw dropped, and I think even Edward was surprised. "Ta da!"

"Alice, you didn't" I murmured, stepping forward to brush a hand over the sleeve of what appeared to be a cream cashmere sweater.

She grinned evilly in return. "Oh, but I did." She picked up a bright red dress, holding it out for me to see. "This'd look so cute." I could see Edward's eyes widen at the low neckline, and the others just laughed, walking on to the rest of their day.

"Maybe on a Malibu Barbie! You know I couldn't pull off that color!" I looked at it in disbelief, not even wanting to wonder how much all the clothes had cost.

"You will be." was all she said, and the dress was placed back on the rack. She moved lithely out of the room, smiling softly.

Edward pulled me into his arms, putting the shirts on my bag before sliding them both to the ground, and sat down. I gladly poured myself into his lap. We sat like that for a while, just basking in each other's company, before I spoke up. "Is Victoria dead?"

He stiffened, if possible. The edges of his lips twitched downwards angrily. "No." I could almost feel a snarl gathering itself in his chest, but he relinquished it by wrapping his arms around my waist. "But we got her far enough away, and Emmett on the look-out enough that you'll be safe while you're…" He paused, his lips pressed together. "Vulnerable."

As if on cue, I heard Jasper's voice floating up to my room. "Come on, Edward! We're leaving!"

I looked at Edward, alarmed. "We're going somewhere?"

He sighed, tucking his arms under my legs and standing, placing me on the couch alone. "I'm going to eat. We can't risk any of us being around here while we're hungry."

"Oh." My face fell. "But you'll be back before…"

"Of course." He grinned gently. "But get your sleep until then. You'll be glad you did." He placed a kiss on my forehead before shoving his hands in his jeans pockets and making his way out of my room. I was upset to see him go, but I did what I was told and curled into a small ball on the couch, falling asleep almost instantly.

He was there when I awoke, stroking my hair gently. I stretched and smiled up at him, noting that his eyes were a warm butterscotch color again. "That was quick." I murmured, shaking out of my sleep.

He grinned. "We didn't go far, and I ate a little after the whole thing with Victoria. I knew you wanted me back soon."

I nodded, yawning and pulling myself up into his lap. "Yep." We were quiet for a while until I spoke up again. "So… three days…"

"Mmm-hmmm."

"Gonna hurt like heck."

"Mmm-hmmm."

"I'll probably be writhing and screaming in pain."

"Mmm-hmmm."

I sat up and sighed. "Bring it on."

He shook his head, laughing. "Bella, I swear; you have no sense." Standing up, he picked me up bridal style.

"I know." I replied as he carried me out into the hallway and set me on my feet. "Hopefully, I'll develop some one of these days." He laughed again, snaking his arm around my waist as we made our way down the stairs. We stopped halfway down.

Carlisle was standing at the foot of the staircase, looking up at me solemnly. Edward's arm subconsciously held me tighter. Both he and I noticed the way he was staring at me, and I saw Esme by Edward's piano, wringing her hands nervously. "Bella," he began, but I swallowed hard and nodded, and he started up the stairs. Esme took a step forward, but didn't move after that.

My heart was suddenly pounding wildly, as if it knew its untimely end was approaching. Edward's arm tightened around my waist even more-I wondered if on animal instinct-when Carlisle put a gentle hand under my elbow.

He led me up the stairs and down the hall to a room I recognized as Alice and Jasper's. I saw a bed in the back of the room, wondered what it was for, and then blushed when the answer finally came to me.

My ears may have been tricking me, but I thought I heard an extremely quiet whimper from Edward when his father pulled me out of his grasp and led me to the bed, sitting me down and kneeling in front of me. "Bella." He said, his voice gravely serious. "Is this really what you want? Do you want to give everything up, go through three days of excruciating pain, and risk your life every minute just to be with us?" He said "us," but I knew who he meant.

I glanced fearfully at the vampire in question. His lips were pressed into a stiff frown, and his marble arms were crossed in front of his chest. He was trying to pull off the Don't-you-dare-say-yes look because he didn't want me to give up my life. Right now, though, his eyes were giving away everything. I was sure that if he could've cried he would have been. Something told me that "You're giving up everything" wasn't his only reason.

He didn't want me to scream.

"I- I… yes." I looked at the floorboards, feeling the tears pooling in my eyes, and hoped to death that Edward didn't see them. Tough luck. He was at my side in a moment, pulling me into a strong embrace, despite Carlisle's soft and gentle protests. Before releasing me again, he pressed a firm kiss to my temple.

Carlisle put a supportive hand on Edwards shoulder as he took his place at the foot of the bed and sighed. He took a step towards me and kneeled, taking my hand in both of his. I wondered what he was doing for a moment before he flipped it over to expose my pale wrist. The tears broke the barrier of my eyelids as he lowered his mouth to the exposed flesh, and a sob racked my shoulders.

It was surprisingly easy at first. The first pain was just a quick prick, like a shot. I looked on, confused, as Carlisle pressed a firm thumb to the wound. "Brace yourself." He said. "It'll start off light, but then it'll hit you." I nodded, trying my best not to tell him that there was already an ache spreading up my arm. The few seconds after that must've been the longest I'd ever felt.

Suddenly, it felt like there was a fire raging in my wrist. I hissed, clutching the offended appendage to my chest. I could feel the pulse there, beating madly against my skin. With each throb, the fire crept up my arm more. The sharp pains along my wrist felt like someone was taking a knife and twisting it into my nerves.

The fire spread to my chest, and my body finally sent relief, plunging me into a world of black. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. It was as if there were two smoldering pieces of coal pressing down on my lungs. I could hear two voices screaming, and I somehow knew one was mine. The other, however, was completely unfamiliar to me.

My body thrashed out on its own, as if it was possessed. In the dark world, I could feel myself writhing, and my arms were being restrained by two cold hands. I made an effort of trying to find the source of the coldness. It was soothing to my flaming body, and searching for it made my mind focus on something other than the stabbing pain.

There were low murmurs buzzing around my head, and once I listened intently enough, I found that they were pieces I had heard before. There was one particular voice I was reaching towards, one that I could just barely hear over the screaming and murmuring. It was velvet, silky, irresistible.

Another stab to my chest brought me back to the world of light and color, and I shrieked to go back. The murmuring was gone, and I could only hear one voice screaming. But the pain was immensely worse. My face was sticky with tears I hadn't known had been spilling, and the fire raging through my upper body was burning through any shred of control I had left.

As the pain enveloped me, I repetitively slipped in and out of the world of black. It seemed that the throbbing was dying off, and that a different fire was feasting on my body. This one was like my skin was being held to a series of knives. They were cutting into parts, an especially powerful sting on my right hand.

Before long, I was inexplicably tired. My body ached to just give in and sleep, but the pain refused to let me slip into unconsciousness. I somehow had enough energy to lash out, but as soon as I would, the cold hands would restrain me again, calming the fire if only for a moment.

I don't know how long it was before the intense pain faded into a dull ache. It was comfortable compared to the fire that had eaten at my body for what seemed like forever. The screaming had stopped, and I was able to hear my heavy breathing in the still quiet.

The cold hands however, were gone. At times, I'd recover enough energy to move, spreading my arms out on the soft surface under me in search of them, but they never touched me again. There was a continual tugging at my chest, not a pain, but the feeling one gets before they cry. No tears ever came, though, and it was an annoying feeling.

It was a long time until I couldn't feel any pain, but the exhaustion knocked me out for another while. It soon got to the point where I just laid there, allowing myself to be hypnotized by the sound of my breathing.

And then I remembered. "Edward!" I shot up, finding myself in Alice and Jasper's room again. It was empty this time, though, and it was as if a tornado had run through. My hands were unconsciously clenching the bedspread, and I picked my right up curiously, relaxing the other. I examined it intently. My scar was gone. I fingered the spot between my thumb and forefinger where the cold scar should have been, but my pale skin was flawless.

It was then that my ears picked up the sound of music playing. I pushed the blanket I had been tangled in aside, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. Looking down confusedly, I saw that I was wearing a t-shirt, several sizes too large, instead of the long skirt and satin shirt I had been wearing when I arrived. I wondered who had changed me and when.

I stood experimentally, and noticed with awe how fluidly the motion had been completed. Gasping softly, I looked down at my body, moving my hands over each curve. It was mine, that much I was sure of, but there was a new-found elegance about my body that I couldn't quite place.

Taking a shaky step towards the door, I stopped when I noticed a long silk robe displayed on a nearby chair. I reached for it, pulling it around my body and gracefully pushing my arms through the sleeves. Smoothing a hand over the dark blue silk, I tied the robe closed.

When I opened the door, the music got louder. I took a step out of the room, and I noticed that the pounding of my nervous heart was painfully missing. Taking a deep breath, not that it helped much, I took another step out into the hallway. And then another. And then another.

I made my way to the top of the stairs, clutching the railing as I slid down a couple steps. The ease at which the motions came was a bit frightening; I wasn't used to this type of fluidity. The living room was suddenly splayed out in front of me. The entire family, minus Emmett, Esme, and Carlisle was there. Rosalie and Jasper were sitting on the cream colored couch, Alice was standing by the piano, a violin tucked under her chin, and Edward was sitting at the piano, his back to me.

As I moved down the staircase, I saw his fingers splaying across the keys, notes blending flawlessly with Alice's violin. I stopped on the third stair from the bottom, mesmerized by the music bouncing off of the walls. It was absolutely beautiful, each crescendo folding seamlessly into a subito piano.

My observing was suddenly interrupted by a gasp. My head turned to see Rosalie and Jasper looking up at me, an expression of pure surprise playing across their features. At their reaction, Alice looked up at me and stopped. The soft smile on my face gradually fell as I felt their eyes boring into me.

Edward's playing slowed to a stop, and he looked at his sister. I knew, somehow, that he read her mind, and he spun around to see me. I froze. The image of awe upon his face was strange, as if it didn't belong there. "Oh my god…" he murmured, his eyes moving up and down my body.

I stood frozen, waiting for him to say something. He stood slowly, as if he was moving through molasses. Suddenly, he laughed and ran to me, picking me up and swinging me through the air. A relieved smile spread across my lips, and I laughed along with him. He set me down, embracing me tightly. It felt so right to be back in his arms again.

I buried my face in his chest and was surprised to find that it didn't feel like stone anymore. Breathing in his scent deeply, I smiled as I heard Jasper calling for Esme and Carlisle. I pulled away, putting my hands on his shoulders and looking up at his dark golden eyes.

"You look amazing!" Alice squealed from behind me. I was sure that if I could blush, I would.

"Thank you." I replied, barely recognizing my own voice. It was lilting and musical, much like Esme's or Alice's.

The doctor and his wife entered the doorway. Alice squeaked excitedly for them to see, and Edward turned me so they could see, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Carlisle, something's wrong." Edward teased in the most serious tone he could muster. "Bella's been replaced by some unbelievably gorgeous woman, and I'm afraid I can't resist her."

Carlisle smiled. "Poor Bella will be so heartbroken."

Esme walked over to me looking me over happily. "You look so beautiful, darling." She said warmly, placing her hands on my arms. I felt that tugging at my chest again.

Alice tugged on my hand, but Edward held me tight. She sighed and put a hand on her hip. "Edward, she needs to get dressed."

"No she doesn't." he insisted. "She looks stunning as she is." He loosened his grip on my waist though, and Alice pulled me out.

She dragged me up the stairs and down the hall, stopping when she reached her open door. "Dang…" she muttered. "You tore it apart!"

"I did that?" I asked, unbelieving. Blankets were thrown around, a lamp was lying on the floor, and a shelf on the bookcase had been knocked down, spilling books across the carpet.

"Not technically." She shook her head and continued walking to my room. "Carlisle and Edward did that while trying to restrain you." She said, ducking inside the room I still couldn't bring myself to claim. She kept talking as she walked over to my closet and opened it up, pulling things out for me. "I'm actually surprised it took that much. They're stronger, but you kept weaseling out of their grasp somehow. Weird. Here." She handed me a couple hangers of different clothes. "Try these on. I had to go by your other clothes, so I don't know how well they fit."

I nodded, taking the hangers from her. After trying on several pieces and refusing a mini-skirt she had handed to me, I had a decent outfit that both she and I agreed on. I had agreed to wear the tight-fitting, navy sweater as long as I could wear a pair of comfortable jeans.

Of course after that, she had to fix my hair, as it was a mess, despite the undeniable new way it almost behaved. Alice quickly ran a brush through it, ridding of the few tangles, and curled it into loose locks. When I had assured her it wouldn't work, she just raised an eyebrow, removed the curlers, and looked on smugly when it came out in perfect ringlets.

When she deemed me finished, she told me to follow her and wait at the top of the stairs. I did as I was told and laughed when she called me down as if I was a princess. "Presenting," she began, stretching out the word. "The beautiful… talented… irresistible Bella Swan!"

It was The Walk Down the Stairs I'd never had. As I took them step by step, I thought back to the night before when I was clumsy and disoriented, and let my pride swell a little when Edward's face dropped into that look of awe again. I laughed at Alice's dramatic proclamation, holding a hand up in a beauty queen wave. A round of applause arose from the small crowd, and I took a few theatrical curtsies.

"Now," Edward began, pulling me in his arms again. "If you don't mind, I'm going to indulge myself in this stunning beauty." And he pulled me up the stairs. I hadn't noticed Emmett was in the room until I heard him calling up the stairs, "Don't do anything we would disapprove of!" Edward teasingly whined down the stairs before pulling me into his room and shutting the door.

"So," I began. "I'm a stunning beauty?" He fell onto the couch, pulling me down into his lap.

He snorted. "If there were stronger words, I'd use them." He pushed my hair aside and pressed his lips to my shoulder. They were soft, strangely, and not as cold as I remembered, but that, I told myself, was probably just because my temperature itself had changed.

Brushing his lips across the sensitive skin of my neck, he crooned the lullaby he had written for me so long ago. I smiled softly, turning around in his lap so I could see his face. "God, Bella," His eyes raked over my features. "You just look so…" He sighed, shaking his head. "Gorgeous."

"Really?" I asked, grinning slyly. He nodded, making a low whistling sound. "Prove it."

He happily obliged. The kiss began much the same as usual- Edward was as careful as ever, testing the water I suppose, and I once again noticed my frantic heartbeat painfully missing. And then something seemed to change. Suddenly, his lips became much more urgent, passionate. His hands twisted in my no longer neat curls, holding my face securely to his. My own fingers found themselves weaving through his hair on their own; I was too busy focused on the task in front of me.

"See?" I breathed before his lips had a chance to connect back to mine. "Wasn't it worth it to be able to do this?"

He was suddenly quiet, and I almost thought that he was ignoring me before he replied huskily, "Nothing is worth hearing you scream in pain like that." He placed a hand on my back, pulling me nearer. "Having to watch that first day was probably more painful for me than you." Claiming my mouth again, he pulled me as close as possible, so that I could feel the rise and fall of his chest against mine.

Suddenly, I had to break away as I shuddered. "Bella?" he asked worriedly.

I opened my eyes, noticing his golden orbs looking at my swollen lips with an expression I could only place as pride. I couldn't help but smile at the male ego. But then my smile fell as the more-mental-than-physical shudder shook me again. "Edward," I breathed, and then hesitated for a moment. "I think I'm thirsty."

10


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me._

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story._

**Good evening! This chapter's a bit shorter than the previous ones, but it's stuffed with lots of good stuff. Have fun reading. By the way, my other story is about to have a really huge chapter coming up, so I'm sorry if I can't update for a while.**

Chapter Three

"You did fine for your first time." Edward assured me, wrapping his arm around my waist. The others, Carlisle and Alice, had gone back to the house so Edward and I could have time alone, leaving us walking down through the forest.

"Ugh… I feel so… vulnerable." I complained, leaning my head against his shoulder.

My first hunting trip was strange, if there was no other word for it. From the minute I saw the mountain lion, something in my mind snapped, and it was if I lost all control. I was pouncing on the unsuspecting animal before either it or I knew what was happening, sinking my teeth into the cat's neck.

The blood.

I'd always been squeamish when it came to the substance, but that night, I savored the taste as it coursed through my mouth, hot and sweet. There was a certain twang to it that reminded me of lemonade. You tasted the sour before anything else. What scared me most though, was that I _liked _it. There was a certain gnawing at my throat that was slowly fading with each gulp of blood. It was an indescribable feeling of relief.

I understood why they had acted the way they had that night before graduation, why they had hesitated to eat the food. The food tasted the same way to them as it had to me. It tasted disgusting to them, though, because they drank blood. The unexplainable deliciousness made everything else taste bad in comparison.

"Strange," Edward mused, interrupting my memory. "You feel vulnerable when you're a hundred times stronger, faster, and deadlier than anything on this planet." He shook his head, the moonlight glinting off of his bronze hair. "But do you feel better?"

"Yeah." And I did. It was as if I had just feasted on an array of fruits and vegetables.

But there was a part of me which noted grimly that I still craved for something more.

Edward suddenly stiffened beside me. "What's wrong?" I asked worriedly, suddenly afraid of Victoria, despite my newly acquired abilities. Something told me, though, that this wasn't Victoria. There was a scent to the air that almost made me gag.

He muttered something under his breath, something too low for even me to hear. The only thing I could make out was "Alone, at least." I tugged on his shirt, wanting an answer, but his reply was slowly, angrily, striding into view.

"Jacob…"

The seventeen year-old stopped a few yards away, his clenched fists shaking at his sides. "I can't believe you." He growled from behind his teeth.

Edward stepped in front of me, but I eased my way to his side. "Jake." I acknowledged, nodding his way.

His livid gaze was torn from Edward to me, and his gaze drastically changed. "Bella…" he whispered, sadness blending beautifully with his anger. His lips worked wordlessly, forming half thought out phrases.

"Edward, go." I murmured.

"Bella- no way."

"Please." I pleaded, looking up at him. "Let me handle this. I can take care of myself now." I knew if we were under any other circumstances, he would have snorted and pushed me behind him again, but he looked at me intensely for a moment before nodding curtly and sprinting off.

"So," Jacob began as soon as he was out of sight. "You finally betrayed us." He shook his head, sticking his tongue in his cheek as he shook his head disbelieving. "I knew they would break the treaty eventually, but with _you_? That's infuriating!" He was trembling with anger now, and I struggled to keep my tone calm. I was still pissed that he had turned my bike into Charlie, and the fact that he betrayed my trust would definitely taint our friendship.

"Jacob, I know you didn't come here just to chastise us; what do you want?" He glared at me, not saying anything, so I returned the look. "_What_?"

He growled lowly. "You said 'us.' You're including yourself with those monsters and-"

"And what does that make you?!" I snapped, already angry. "If _we're_ such horrid monsters, _us_ vampires," I made sure to emphasize the plurals, allowing myself to be a bit spiteful. "That means you and your pack are so innocent, right?"

I clenched my fists at my sides, avoiding his gaze. "What do you want, Jake?" I repeated softly.

It was a long moment before I heard his voice, _his _voice, not Sam's. "Why'd you do it Bells? Why'd you let them ruin you like this?" The sincere pain in his voice caused me to look up at his brown eyes. The only thing I could see in them was hurt.

I took a step forward, unclenching my fists. "I could ask you the same thing." I tilted my head slightly. "Can't you see what this stupid rivalry is doing to us?"

He sneered mockingly. "Oh, are you referring to _us_ as in you and me or _us _as in you and your new _family_?"

I shook my head as the new Jacob came back and looked up at him pleadingly. "You know what 'us' I mean. You're letting this hate and anger overtake who you are, Jake." I let my hands fall helplessly to my sides. "What did the Cullens ever do to you? To the people you love?"

He turned his head, unwilling to meet my gaze. "They ruined you."

"How?" I replied impatiently. "How does this make me anything less or worse than who I was before? How is what I'm going through any more different than what you did," I would have blushed here, if I could. "Except that I changed for love, willingly." I shook my head. "You have Sam; I have Carlisle. You have your pack for support; I have my coven. Admit it- we're not so different as this stupid feud makes us out to be."

He was trembling again, and I was worried for a split second. "Don't ever…" he began lowly. "Compare us to them…"

I groaned exasperatingly. "You don't get it, Jake!" I took a few strides closer so that I was directly in front of him. Wrinkling my nose for a minute at how he smelled, like rotting meat, I shook my head as if to shake away the distracting odor. "Why do you hate them?!"

"They're bloodsuckers for God's sake!" He roared, as if this explained everything.

"You're such a hypocrite!"

"I have never-"

"I know!" I shouted, cutting him off. "You hate them so much because they are what they can't help. They can't deny their thirst just as much as you can't deny your hatred for them. But you prey on them because of what they are!"

"Bella-"

"_No! _You're going to listen to me for once! They haven't harmed a human in decades, but you go after them as if they're feasting on Forks' population!" I saw the shiver in his spine, but there was no stopping this flood of words. "You hunt them because of what they are, not because of who they are. That doesn't make you any better than the vampires who drink human blood. You prey on innocent, admit it!"

And he snapped. He grabbed me tightly by the arms. I was glad Edward wasn't there; Jake would've been dead in a minute. I only stood there, allowing both him and me to calm ourselves for a moment. One more word and he would have lost all control.

"I came to say…" he began, his angry breath labored. "That now that they've broken the treaty, we're not obliged to follow it anymore either." He looked up at me, and in his brown eyes, I could only see Sam. "So tell your _coven_ to watch their backs."

I pushed his hands away, taking a step back. "You know if you attack them, I'll retaliate with them, right?" His gaze was firm, steady as he nodded. "Good. I don't want to have to do it, but I will if I'm called to. If you're going to keep up with this stupid feud, I'm going to take Edward's side." He just watched me with a steely glare.

"Why'd you let them do it?" He asked again, his voice more desperate this time.

I shook my head. "I love him, Jake. I know you can't comprehend it, but he's to me what Emily is to Sam. You can at least understand that much, right?"

"But he's hurt you so much." he debated, his hands held out at his sides.

"Emily's got scars too." I replied simply, shrugging. "Sometimes it doesn't matter how much someone's hurt us when you love them. Just being with them makes up for every horrible thing they've ever done or ever will do. I hope you can understand this sometime, Jake."

He laughed softly, bitterly. "I think I already do, Bells."

I put a hand on his shoulder, surprised at how hot it was, and turned around, beginning to walk away. "Hey, Bella?" he asked, gently. I looked over my shoulder at him, pushing a lock of my hair away. "You- you really do look beautiful."

I smiled. "Thanks." This small exchange gave me a little hope, and I started to walk away again.

But I suddenly felt extremely exhausted and stopped, putting a hand to my forehead. "Bella?" There was a twisting at the pit of my stomach, and an abrupt dizziness overthrew me. Before I knew what was happening, the forest floor was rising towards me. "_Bella!_"

And the last thing I remembered was that it was the _real_ Jacob screaming my name.

It was the sound of _his_ velvet voice that finally brought me back. "Bella? Bella, please wake up!" My eyes opened and I groaned softly, wincing as the bright light above me flashed in my face. "Carlisle! She's opening her eyes!" The first thing that filled my vision was Edward, bent over me with the most frightened expression I'd ever seen on his face.

"Edward?"

The bronze-haired angel was pushed away, and a new blonde one appeared above me. "Bella, what happened?" Carlisle demanded, more serious than I'd ever seen before. "What did he do to you?"

"Jake?" A feral snarl from Edward told me I had guessed correctly. "He-he didn't do anything…"

Carlisle helped me sit up and I found myself on the Cullens' couch, the entire family surrounding me with complete worry smeared across their still features. "Bella, Jacob brought you back last night, passed out. He left you at the front door and ran off without an explanation. What did he do?"

"He didn't do anything." I repeated, dully aware that Edward was behind me, stroking my hair soothingly. "After we finished talking last night, I was walking away, and I just…" I trailed off, honestly unsure of what had really happened.

"Are you sure he didn't attack you from behind without you knowing it?" He was persistent.

"He didn't attack me, Carlisle." I assured him, slightly annoyed that they'd think Jacob would have done something like that.

"What did he want?" Edward asked angrily. He picked me up and sat down on the couch, laying me in his lap.

"He-" I stopped. This part would absolutely infuriate him. "He wanted me to warn you all that they were throwing out the treaty… because of me… and to look out."

"The nerve of him!" Emmett exclaimed. Esme put a hand on his shoulder, calming him.

Carlisle sighed, shaking his head. "Bella, if what you're saying is true, than it's not normal for you to have passed out. You're already dead; you can't get sick."

I thought about it a minute, and he was right. How _could_ I have fainted, unless I was still human? "Are you saying I'm defective?" I asked shakily.

He looked up at the rest of the family gathered around the couch. Once he cleared his throat, they sighed, moving away to a routine. He looked back at me. "I'm not sure that's it so much. Here." Raising a hand, he motioned for Edward to sit me up. "Try and push my hand away."

I did as I was told, putting my palm to his and putting all my strength. He didn't move; he was definitely stronger than me, vampire or not, but I could see his arm quivering, and that meant I was at least strong enough to put up a fight.

"Good…" He murmured. Looking back up at Edward, he asked him, "Could she run?" When he replied with a nod, Carlisle put his fingers on the bridge of his nose, as if he was getting a headache; I guess it was just habit. "I don't get it…" he muttered, and that scared me. Carlisle was supposed to know everything. "Edward, just…" Carlisle sighed, putting a hand on my knee before standing. "Do you feel okay now, Bella?"

"I feel fine."

He nodded in response, moving towards the door. "Then I have to work. I might call Aro about this if it starts up again, but…" He sighed again. "I'll see you later. If we're lucky, nothing else will happen for a while."

As the doctor sped out of the house, I felt Edward leaning his head on the top of mine. My eyes rolled up to see only a shock of bronze hair tickling my forehead. "Edward?" I asked softly.

He groaned, shifting so that his chin was sitting on top of my head. "Even when you're near to invincible you have to give me something to worry about, huh?"

I knew he was just teasing, but it still hurt. "Well, sorry if I can't be _completely_ invincible." I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest. It was much easier to speak my mind when his beautiful face couldn't overwhelm me into saying something else.

"Bella, you know I didn't mean it like that." He leaned down and murmured in my ear. "No one can be completely invincible."

"You think I like always being the center of attention? Everyone's biggest worry? It's not like I _try_ to get into all these messes." I hated it when he treated me like a kid because I had found my way into trouble. It wasn't my fault that fate hated me.

"I know you don't." he smoothed my hair back, curling me in his lap and letting me bury my face into his chest. "You can't control attracting danger as much as it can't control staying away from you." He grinned, squeezing me gently.

After a moment of comfortable silence, I murmured into his shirt, "Jacob didn't hurt me. He's angry at me, but he didn't do anything."

"What exactly happened?" Edward stroked my cheek with his thumb as I moved my face from his chest. "Did you see or hear anything? Anyone?"

"No. I just… I was walking away and I felt really lightheaded. Next thing I knew, I was on the ground and Jacob was shouting my name." I shrugged. "If anyone did attack me from behind, it wasn't a werewolf or a vampire."

He pressed a kiss to my forehead, pushing back a few strands of rebellious hair. "Well, whatever _did_ happen, we're going to find out what and why." I nodded and he reached over me and grabbed the remote. "Here," he said, handing me the thin device. "You pick something to watch while I go get a blanket."

I agreed as he set me down on the couch and flashed up the stairs. I looked at the TV, and before I had a chance to turn it on, I saw a flash of my reflection in the empty, black screen. I gasped and put a hand to my cheek. Edward was back by my side in a second. "What'd I miss?"

"Oh, my gosh…" I murmured, smoothing a fingertip across my forehead and watching as the stranger in the reflection did the same.

"Bella, have you even seen yourself yet?" Edward asked me, slightly surprised.

I shook my head and ran to the hallway, where I knew a mirror hung on the wall. I was there in a millisecond, standing in awe before the large mirror. The girl in my reflection was stunning, appallingly gorgeous. The dark brown hair that framed her heart-shaped face laid neatly, her bangs sweeping so that it almost covered her left eye. The orbs themselves were set perfectly, intensely, a warm honey color. They seemed to rest on elegant cheekbones, which trailed down to a pair of plump, pink lips. They were slightly parted as I looked on in surprise.

It was me; that was obvious. She looked almost exactly as I did, but there was just something about the way that her eyes were set that made her look like a totally different person. It wasn't strikingly noticeable, but the way she looked back at me through the mirror gave her a haunting beauty, a factor I hadn't seen in either Alice's perkiness or Rosalie's confidence. My reflection was staring at me, tilting her head this way and that as I did. Satisfied wasn't enough to express my approval.

"Oh, my gosh…" I repeated, and Edward laughed beside me.

"Gorgeous, isn't she?" he teased, putting his hands on my shoulders and resting his chin on my head. "I barely recognized you." He quickly caught himself, though. "Not that you weren't beautiful to begin with, I-" I would have laughed, had I been paying less attention to the mirror.

"Well, I can recognize myself perfectly, it's just… I don't know how to explain it…"

"Well, now you see what I saw every time I looked at you." He said matter-of-factly, placing a kiss to the top of my head. Edward ruffled my hair and moved back to the couch. I took one last look at the mirror before following, sitting in his lap.

6


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me._

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story._

**Blech. This chapter seems so OOC. And I haven't edited it yet, so if anybody finds any bloopers, I'd appreciate it if my wonderful readers would point them out to me. Anyways, I was suddenly struck with inspiration one night, so the story's going in a COMPLETELY different direction. I already have chapter five written up, but I'm not going to post it just yet. I'll leave a sneak peek at the end of the chapter for y'all, but 'til then…  
**

Chapter Four

It was sunny outside, a rarity for Forks. Jasper and Edward were wrestling in the middle of the meadow, a blur of glitter and fabric. I spent the time admiring the way my skin sparkled, turning my hand this way and that. Alice was sitting next to me, polishing her violin with a small cloth.

"So," I began, pulling the sleeve of my sweater over my glittering wrist. "I didn't know you played anything." The only time I had ever seen her play the instrument was the week before, my first day as a vampire, when she was playing with Edward.

"Yep." She pushed the cloth into her back pocket and sat up, plucking strings as she tuned them. "I think the only one in our family who doesn't play something is Carlisle. He says he used to play the harpsichord, back when he was still a human, but lost it when the whole doctor thing came around."

"Really? I thought it was just Edward and his piano." I sat back on my elbows, watching the two boys laughing as Edward squirmed out of Jasper's pin.

"Oh, no. When you're doomed to eternal night, you've got to have a hobby. I think Edward plays sax sometimes too. Not as well as piano, of course, but every blue moon, he'll pull it out." She put down the violin for a minute and began counting on her fingers. "Rosalie plays the flute, Jasper- guitar, Emmett decided the only thing loud enough for him was drums, and Esme plays her harp."

I chewed on my lip as I thought. "So the only ones left out are me and Carlisle. Hmm…"

"Hey, at least if you're ever bored, you've got a lot of choices, of both instruments and teachers." She went back to tuning her violin.

I shrugged, thinking about it. I wouldn't be comfortable with any of the guys teaching me, even Edward. I didn't want him to see me when I got frustrated. I'd probably end up yelling at him over something stupid. Esme wouldn't be a bad teacher, but a harp? And Rosalie, no matter how much we had progressed, still probably wouldn't be too open to helping me.

"Could you teach me?" I asked Alice. "Violin?"

She set the instrument down. "I might be able to. Don't know how good of a mentor I'd be." Looking up, she handed me the violin. "Here, let's just have a test run. Put your chin here…" She gently showed me how to hold the body of the violin between my chin and collarbone and handed me the bow. "Now, try to run this across."

The bow was beautiful, made of a deep colored wood, though I wasn't sure which type. A gold piece capped both ends, and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that it was real. I wrapped my hand around it like she showed me, put it to the strings, and pulled downward.

Alice must've been truly amazing to make it sound as good as she did. The only sound that came from the violin when I tried to play was the sound of a cat being strangled. We both winced, and the boys stopped their roughhousing for a moment to stare, but quickly went back to wrestling.

"Not…" Alice began, choosing her words wisely. "_Completely _horrible…" I rolled my eyes and handed the instrument back. "Come on, Bella, it's your first time. Did you really think it'd be perfect?"

"No." Kinda, actually. I had thought that they played so well because of what they were, and that, since I was a part of their family now, it'd come easy. But no. They were good because they had a lot of time, because they practiced. "But, hey, practice makes perfect."

She smiled. "Exactly. Maybe we can start sometime tonight. I'd rather just enjoy the sun right now, wouldn't you?"

I nodded, holding up my hand and admiring it once more as Alice tucked the violin under her chin and started some happy tune.

And she stuck to her promise. That night, when I was trying to draw a picture of Edward at the piano (Another hobby I was trying to kill time with), Alice bounced up behind me and held the violin in front of me. Edward grinned and gladly stopped playing, if only to hear how horrible I sounded. Alice supplied me with everything I needed: music books, a stand, she even promised me my own bow when I got good enough.

Unfortunately, I never did. After two weeks of playing the same warm-up songs for an hour every night, I still wasn't good enough to play the easiest song in my beginner's book. I was all for persistence, but it was ridiculous.

"Don't worry, you'll get it eventually." Alice told me for the fourth time that night as I failed once again to play the third measure of "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore." "It's just a matter of how much you practice."

"Well, I could sing this song in my sleep and still not be able to play it. As a matter of fact, I think I _could_ sing it in my sleep… If I could sleep." I was slowly adjusting to their life. One night, when I was extremely out of it, I got upset because I couldn't find a pair of pajama pants. The "eternal night" thing was a bit frustrating at times, but I dealt with it.

Alice gave me a sympathetic smile as she pulled a cream-colored sweater over her shoulders. "I have tons of songs I could sing in my non-sleep. Have you seen my purse?"

"Date with Jasper?" They had been going out a lot lately. She grinned, nodding, and I pointed behind her, where her purse was sitting on the desk.

"Thanks, Bella." She leaned over to check her reflection in the mirror one last time before waving goodbye and ducking out of the room.

I set the violin and bow to the side, sighing. Lying back on the bed, I closed my eyes and laid my arm across my face. I couldn't sleep, I know, but over the few weeks, I had discovered that if I closed my eyes and laid really still, I could be in a sleep-like state. Not unconscious or anything, but almost like meditating. I knew I was awake, but my mind didn't really think about anything. It was like just floating.

After a while of "floating," Alice bounced back in the room. "Bella?" she breathed, as if she had just discovered something important.

"That's my name." I replied, not willing to take my arm away from her face.

I heard Jasper calling- well, saying really, Alice's name, and the girl paused for a second, debating inwardly about whether to say something to me or to go to him. After a moment, she said, "I'll tell you later. See you in a while!" And she left again. I faintly heard the car door shut outside, and let my arm fall from my face.

I sighed. After trying for a few moments to get back to floating, I gave up and left the room, searching for Edward. I heard him and Carlisle saying something in the kitchen, so I glided down the stairs and walked in, leaning over the counter. "What's up?"

Edward smiled at me, walking over to the counter and jumping up so he could sit on it. I don't think he was used to my new appearance, even after three weeks. "Not much. We were just wondering if you were going to be ready enough to go to Carlisle's annual fundraiser."

"Fundraiser?" I set my chin in my cupped hands, tilting my head a bit.

My newest father-like figure smiled. "Every year, we- the hospital, that is-hold a ball. Everybody gets dressed up, dances, eats fancy food. We pick a charity from a hat, and all the money we make from admission goes to that charity."

"Cool. When is it?" I hadn't gotten dressed up since my prom a few months ago. I had tried to resist, but Alice and Rosalie threatened to change their votes if I didn't sit down, shut up, and let them do my hair.

I was interested in this, though, because I wasn't afraid of dancing so much. With my newfound grace, I was sure I could pull off a waltz without hurting anyone. I also was, dare I say it, actually looking forward to going shopping with Rosalie and Alice. I went without a fight last time, and it was actually sort of fun. It was much less like torture when they didn't keep it a secret from me. Like shopping with Jess and Angela in Port Angeles.

"Um, it's probably going to be in a couple months or so, maybe a little less, actually. That's why I was worried you might not be ready in time." The doctor put his hand behind his head and rubbed his neck, a gesture I learned to be his, "I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm going to tell you anyway" sign.

I was a bit disappointed. Sure, the one time I'm somewhat looking forward to a formal occasion, I can't go for fear of sucking the life out of the party guests.

There was suddenly a voice in the back of my head. It wasn't like my normal thoughts, where the voice I hear is mine; this one was different. It was a cool, smooth voice, neither female nor male. _I can do it, Carlisle._

"I can do it, Carlisle." I said without thinking. It took me a bit aback at first. I hadn't meant to say it; the words just seemed to jump from my lips. So I quickly added, "It's not going to be easy, but if Edward could keep from killing me, I can control myself."

Carlisle looked at me uncertainly. "We'll see, Bella." And with that, he disappeared up the stairs, and I heard the shutting of his office door.

Edward jumped off of the counter, lowering himself to my level, so he was looking into my eyes. "What's this? Bella Swan wants to go to a ball?"

"It- it's for the charity." I said defiantly, folding my arms over each other.

Edward snorted. "Yeah, which Carlisle is going to be paying for anyways."

After a moment of searching up for a comeback, I just stuck my tongue out at him, standing up and walking to his side of the counter.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Now, what's the real reason you want to go?" His eyes were a flat black, I noticed, and suddenly remembered that we were supposed to go hunting tomorrow.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I guess I just want to try dancing without being afraid of looking stupid." Sighing, I put my hands on his chest. "It looks really fun when Rosalie and Alice do it."

"Aw, poor Bella." He crooned, not necessarily mockingly, but enough to show he was kidding. "We can dance any time you want." A bright grin suddenly lit up his face. "In fact, we could dance right now."

He pulled away from me and walked into the living room. I followed as I watched him move over to the stereo near the back of the room. He picked up a CD case and popped the disk out, placing it in the opened CD player. Tossing me the small remote, he moved over to the couches and pushed them out of the center of the room with a simple push.

"Press play, if you will, my singer." He said in a silly formal voice. I did so and slipped the near-to flat remote in the back pocket of my jeans. Bowing, he held out his hand for me to take. I laughed and played along, taking it with a curtsy.

"So," I began as he placed one hand on my waist and took my own hand with his other. "It's been a long time since you called me your singer." It had actually. He only called me that when he was being silly, though.

"Well, I heard you upstairs singing, and it just made me remember." He pressed a kiss to my forehead as the classical music started. It took me a moment to recognize the song, but then I suddenly remembered.

"Is this-"

"Yup." He said with a grin as he twirled me slowly. "It's our song."

"Clair de Lune" I whispered. Then something he said made my eyebrows furrow. "I wasn't singing upstairs. Alice was helping me with the violin."

"No…" he said slowly. "I know you were singing. That's what got Carlisle started on the subject, because he heard you and that reminded him."

"Well, then what was I singing?" I demanded, easily unfocused on my feet. They glided across the floor without me even having to think about it.

He chuckled, twirling me once more. "I think it was 'Michael, Row the Boat Ashore.'"

I groaned, letting my head fall back for a moment. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Grinning as the song slowed to a stop, Edward reached in my pocket and pulled out the remote. "Don't worry about it; you sounded great. Now," He pressed a few buttons on the remote. "Do you want to hear something really cool?"

I nodded curiously. He pressed the play button and slid the remote back into my pocket. I looked up at him as the first few notes of Clair de Lune floated through the air. "Edward, we just-"

"Shh!" he interrupted, placing his hand on the small of my back. After a moment of listening to the familiar music, he said, "When I say 'one', I'm going to dip you, alright. From there, just follow my lead.

After waiting for about a minute, he began to count off softly. "Two-and, Three-and, Four-and, _one_." On one, at the same moment an electrical violin broke through the soft lullaby, he quickly but gently pulled me into a dip. As I watched his charcoal eyes glow with excitement, he snapped me back up, holding me close so that we were pressed together tightly.

He kept counting for me as he began to move us to the music. I was lucky he did; the soft lullaby had been remixed into a fast song with an electric violin and a fast tempo piano. It was much harder to follow his steps as he whirled us around the floor, stepping back, bridging, twirling. It felt as if I had been dancing to this remix routinely for a long time, the movements came so smoothly.

While I had to focus more on what he was doing, I had to admit: I liked this version a _lot_ more. Not because it was more upbeat, but because of the way we were dancing. He'd hold me close, and then snap out, only to bring me back to him. With the rhythm and sharpness of the dance, it felt more like salsa.

When we were close, he'd press me to him, looking down with a look I could only place as humbly smug. It was amazing, really, the way he knew exactly where his hands were supposed to be, the way his feet were supposed to move.

And just as abrupt as it had started, he finished by deliberately tripping me (gently, of course) so I would fall into his arms. If I was still human, I'd be breathing heavily, but as I was, all I could do was look into his eyes as he carefully placed me back on my feet. He held me straight, but kept holding me to his chest tightly. It didn't bother me, really. His face was only centimeters away, and I could feel his sweet breath on my lips.

And as if he knew what I was thinking, he pressed his lips to mine. Not harshly, but very firmly. Loosening his grip on me, he let his hand move up to cup my cheek while the other rubbed random patterns into my back.

His lips were just working my mouth open when we heard cheering from behind. "Whoooo! _Yeah!_"

Edward and I all but jumped off of each other to see Emmett standing at the bottom of the stairs, clapping like an idiot. "Encore, encore!" His face suddenly relaxed and he dropped his hands. "Can I watch TV now?" he asked.

In a blur, Edward bent over one of the couches, grabbed one of the small pillows, and threw it at his brother. "Shut up, Emmett."

The man laughed, sauntering smugly into the living room as we drifted towards the stairs. He turned the couch around effortlessly and fell onto it, digging the remote out of the cushions. "You two are so weird when you dance. I was there almost the whole time and you didn't notice."

This time we said it together: "Shut up, Emmett."

XD

I had the violin tucked under my chin again, trying to play one of the most annoying songs someone could choose to put in a lesson book. I wasn't succeeding, of course, but I'd be a vampire's uncle if I wasn't going to try.

As soon as I messed up for the billionth time in thirty minutes, Alice burst in, shoving a few pieces of paper into my lap. I put the violin down, picking up the papers. It was sheet music. _Hard_ sheet music.

"Alice, are you crazy? If I can't play this stupid song, I can't play _this_!"

"You're not playing." She said, grabbing the violin and bow. "I am. _You're_ singing."

_Singing?_

I tried chorus one year in middle school. It wasn't too bad. I did pretty well until one of the classic mean girls said I sounded like a dying raccoon. After that, I usually just lip-synched.

"You can read that, right?" she asked, taking it from my hands and putting on the music stand.

I looked at it and my jaw dropped slightly. "Um, it's in French."

"Mmm-hmm… Now try and read the words to yourself as I skim over these tricky looking parts here."

Nodding, I looked at the words written under the notes. The title was "A la Claire fontaine," which, if I remember from my last French class in seventh or eighth grade, means "The clear fountain." I was relatively good at French. I liked it better than any of my other classes, too. I didn't have to run a mile or factor a trinomial expression.

"It was so hard to find this with a violin accompaniment. All I could find were either with a piano or a capella. Poor Jasper had to wait on me forever." She looked down at me, the bow ready in her hands. "Are you ready?"

"I- I think so. Do I have to?" I looked at the sheet music again. I hadn't ever really sang since middle school, and I was probably going to prove that mean girl right.

"Yes."

Why did I even bother asking?

She started off slowly. It was a lullaby, I assumed, and the violin sounded pretty. But when it was time for me to sing, I opened my mouth, but no words came out. "Come on, Bella! You can do this. I heard you singing earlier; you have a beautiful voice."

"Why does everyone say I was singing? Because I _really _don't remember!"

She sighed, giving me a look as if to say, "Are you done now?"

I sighed. "Sorry, keep going." And she did, starting off again. This time, when my turn came, I actually tried to sing. My voice was soft and barely audible, but at least I was singing. "_À la claire fontaine, m'en allant promener_,"

"Come on." She murmured without having to quit playing.

I sighed and closed my eyes as I made my voice grow. "_J'ai trouvé l'eau si belle  
que je m'y suis baigné_." For some reason, even though I had my eyes closed, I knew what each word was before I sang it. I didn't have to look back at the page and the music. "_Il y a longtemps que je t'aime, jamais je ne t'oublierai_."

The rest of the song came easily, and even though I was focusing on actually singing than on listening to how I sounded, I'm pretty sure I didn't sound like a dying raccoon. Alice's violin quit as I came to the last refrain, holding my hands tightly in my lap. "_Il y a longtemps que je t'aime, jamais je ne t'oublierai_."

"_Il mia cantante…_"

My eyes snapped open to see Edward leaning against the door frame as he smiled softly. His arms were folded in front of his chest, and his bronze hair was just barely falling in front of his eyes. He once again reminded me of an angel. A sneaky, spying angel, but an angel no less. "You sound wonderful, Bella."

If I could have blushed, it would have been a furious shade of red. "H-how long-"

He chuckled. "The whole time, Bells. "

I stood up, turning my head this way and that. "Where'd Alice go?"

"To go talk to Jasper about something." He tilted his head and I looked behind me where, on my couch, the sheet music sat waiting like a spell just waiting to be broken.

Standing straight, he began walking towards me, a devious smile on his face. I went to take a step backwards, but fell onto the couch. He quickly sat down next to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning me against the arm of the furniture.

"Now," he began, pressing a soft kiss to my neck. "We were doing something before Emmett interrupted earlier today. Now, what was it?" He pressed another kiss to my jaw line.

"Well, I think- what are- why-" I huffed as he chuckled, kissing the side of my mouth. "Becoming a vampire was supposed to keep you from dazzling me."

"It does." He murmured, kissing the other side of my mouth. "But it doesn't keep you from being Bella."

I scoffed. "And how am I supposed to take that?" But he didn't answer. He had already come to a realization.

"Oh, yes. Now I remember…"

XD

**Sneak Peek:**

I smiled as he stepped back gently, taking silly bows. "Thank you, thank you…" And then suddenly, I was overcome with a familiar dizziness. I put a hand to my forehead, looking up at Edward. He was asking what was wrong, but his words were distorted, too slow. "_Help._" I whispered, and collapsed into his arms, falling into a world that was not my own.

Il mia cantante- My singer.

For translations of "A la Claire Fontaine," pm me.

**Thanks to an anonymous reader for alerting me to my bloopers. They've been fixed, thanks to you! Please, my favorite people, don't be afraid to inform me of typo's or story errors. -Curiosity**


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me._

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story._

**Thanks to an anonymous reader, I had the chance to fix a few errors. _Please_ don't be afraid to pick out errors or typo's. They go to the better...ness... of this story. Much love!**

Chapter Five

"Alright, let's take it from this measure." Edward, sitting next to me on the piano bench pointed to the sheet music. He spread his fingers across the keys and began to play, almost mesmerizing me into forgetting to sing.

"_Someone holds me safe and warm_." I began, watching Edward's hands move across the keys instead of looking at the music.

When I got to "Safe and warm," Edward joined me, acting as a harmony. When he first sang with me, I was astounded and stumbled over the words, making him sigh and begin again.

"_Horses prance through a silver storm_."

"_Silver storm_." He echoed.

We both sang the next part together, looking up at each other with a knowing smile. "_Figures dancing gracefully across my memory_."

About a week ago, Carlisle had declared that I could go to the charity ball. He even asked Edward and me to do a duet together, him on piano and me singing. We agreed, and Alice eagerly shot off to the music store to pick out a few pieces. We finally decided on a lullaby from some Disney movie: _Beauty and the Beast_, _Anastasia_, something along those lines.

"Oh, sorry." He said, stopping abruptly. "I think I'm flat."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. First, that he could do anything wrong, and secondly, he sounded perfect to me. But all I said was, "Oh, I hadn't noticed."

We quickly ran the part again, this time seemingly flawlessly. As he cut off again afterwards, he looked at me, "You sound beautiful, _cantante_." He had gotten into a habit of calling me that whenever I was singing, which was only when Alice and he forced me to practice.

Looking back to the music, he flipped a few pages until he came to the end. "Now, this part might be a little high for you." He pressed a key on the piano- a high A, he told me later. He was right. It was pretty high. "Do you think you can handle it?"

I bit my lip, reaching over to push the key for myself. "Um, maybe if I stand up." Shrugging, I stood up, putting my hands on his shoulders. He began to play again, this time extremely slowly. It was supposed to have the affect of a music box; he had played through it for me before we started.

I took a deep breath as he counted off my cue quietly. Closing my eyes, I made my voice soft. "_And a song someone sings, once upon a December_." I thought I had cracked, but apparently, I hadn't, because in a blur, Edward was up and squeezing me in a hug.

"Perfect!" Edward's eyes, now a warm butterscotch, all but sparkled. "That was absolutely perfect!"

I smiled as he stepped back gently, taking silly bows. "Thank you, thank you…" And then suddenly, I was overcome with a familiar dizziness. I put a hand to my forehead, looking up at Edward. He was asking what was wrong, but his words were distorted, too slow. "_Help._" I whispered, and collapsed into his arms, falling into a world that was not my own.

"_You're on, my dear." A large man said, ushering a petite woman onto a make-shift stage. "Make me proud." He glanced at her nervously. Smoothing a hand over his thinning brown hair, he exhaled shakily._

_The woman flashed him a bright smile. "Don't worry, Giovanni, I will." Her chocolate brown eyes were wide with excitement. "I always do." And she moved up onto the stage, taking her place near the violinist._

_As the older man in the center of the stage announced her name, she looked out at the dancing couples, the people standing near the back, the king sitting proudly in his throne. She spotted a man leaning on a marble column. He was watching her as well, swirling the wine in his glass expertly. The woman gave him a soft smile, smoothing her hands over her ruby colored damask gown. _

"_And now we will be blessed with a song from Lady Katharine of the lake." The older man all but screamed, moving his hand to gesture towards the woman. She smiled and nodded at him, and he scurried off the stage._

_The violinist started slowly, his bow gliding majestically over the strings. With a deep breath, Katharine began to sing. While she did so, she moved her eyes back toward the man she had been staring at earlier. His hand had stilled, and he was watching her with an interested smile._

_She inwardly dedicated the song to him, following him with her eyes as he stood straight and walked closer to the stage. _What am I supposed to call it, then? _She thought inwardly. _"Song for the man with the red waistcoat?" _He stopped just in front of the improvised stage, swirling his wine again. _

_He was breathtakingly handsome, maybe four or five years older than her. He had strong, sharp features, his dark brown hair tied back with a cord. His lips were full, curled into a mischievous smile. He had a bit of stubble on his cheeks and chin, and she wondered if he was some sort of traveler. _

_Katharine noticed as she sang that, even though he swirled in nonstop, the man never took a sip of the deep red liquid. From where she stood, it looked like blood. She also notice that he never broke his gaze, never looked away from her eyes. _

_As the violin slowly cued her final note, she pressed a hand to her torso, willing the high note to come out cleanly. It did so, and the audience roared with applause. She smiled widely as she looked at the king, who had his own grin upon his face. Looking back at the man in front of her, she saw that he wasn't clapping, but he had a sly smile upon his face._

_He lifted a hand to escort her down the few stairs, and she took it, picking up her gown to make sure she didn't trip on it. She was always very clumsy. "Puits fait." He murmured. "Well done."_

_Katharine smiled at him. "Merci." _

_He handed his still-full wine glass to a passing servant, walking her out to the middle of the dance floor. Bowing elegantly, he said, "May I have this dance?"_

_She laughed, nodding. "I must warn you, I'm not very good."_

_He grinned widely, as if he knew a secret she didn't. "Don't worry; I am." Placing a hand on her waist, he patiently waited as she gave him a cautious look before putting her own hand on his shoulder. _

_As the music started again, he began to dance, rather slowly, so that she didn't trip. She laughed sheepishly as her feet moved awkwardly beneath her. "Like I said," she began with a sheepish laugh. "I'm not very good."_

_He shrugged. "It's not an extremely important skill. It just takes practice." He twirled her slowly, obviously trying not to laugh as she tripped over herself._

"_Hah. Try telling Giovanni that." She scoffed._

"_And Giovanni is your… husband?" he fished, obviously hinting at something._

"_No." she replied, quickly catching on. "He manages my events. Keeps track of where I'm supposed to be, when I'm supposed to be there. That sort of thing."_

"_Ah, then what does your husband do?"_

"_I'm sure you perfectly well know that I'm not married." She said defiantly, managing to trip again. _

_He grinned mischievously. "Maybe. Maybe not." He laughed, watching her stare at him like he was a child who'd done something wrong. "I'm only poking fun at you. Though I can't understand why you're not. You're wealthy, talented, beautiful…"_

"_You can stop trying to be so sneaky. I'm already dancing with you, aren't I?" She rolled her eyes, actually managing not to stumble when he twirled her._

"_That, you are." He chuckled as the music came to an end. "Well, that, you _were_."_

"_Oh, good evening, my lady." The couple looked up to see a man in his late thirties standing in front of them. "You sounded exquisite just now."_

"_Thank you, Lord Henry. You look well." She let go of her dancing partner. "My lord, this is my friend, um…" She blushed, realizing that she had yet to ask his name._

"_Forgive me." The man said with an extremely graceful bow. "I've been so rude; I haven't even introduced myself." He put a hand on Katharine's arm, though he was talking to Henry. "My name is Philippe. I was in such a hurry to dance with Miss Katharine that I forgot my manners."_

"_Ah, well, Philippe, I was just wondering if I could have a dance with her as well." Henry said, a hand casually resting on the hilt of his sword. He wasn't entirely horrible-looking for his age. He was slender, a bit toned. His fading black hair was messy on top of his head, and he watched as Philippe stepped away from Katharine with sky blue eyes._

"_Of course, sir, I'd hate to keep her from other dance partners." He bowed once more to her before moving to leave. "It was very enjoyable, my lady. I hope to see you again soon." As he walked past her, she heard him whisper, "_Very _soon, my lady."_

I awoke with a start, breathing heavily. When I first opened my eyes, I was dizzy, the room swirling. Once it stilled, I could see Edward kneeling next to me, holding me hand tightly.

"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly, his eyebrows furrowing with concern. His words weren't distorted anymore, and I could understand him clearly.

My silent heart gave a tight squeeze. "Yes, I think so."

He sighed with relief. "You scared me out of my mind, Bella Swan. Don't ever do that again." He said sternly.

I scoffed. "Yeah, because I should be able to control when I faint." I sat up, realizing that I was on his couch, not mine, in his room. "What am I doing in here?"

He stood up, walking over to his closet and picking out a long-sleeved shirt. "Carlisle told me to pack, but I wasn't about to let you out of my sight."

"Told you to pack?" I asked as he took the shirt off its hanger and folded it, tossing it into a small suitcase at his feet. "Why?"

He sighed, closing the closet and moving to a dresser. He pulled out a drawer and picked up a pair of jeans, tossing them into the suitcase as well. "Because you fainted. We're all- well, Carlisle, you, Alice, and I- are going to Italy."

"_Italy_?" I said, swinging my legs over the side of the couch. I stood up, shoving my hands in my back pockets.

"Yeah, Italy. You know, country in Europe? Shaped like a boot?" Normally he would have smiled at his sarcastic joke, but he was still a bit upset from my fainting, obviously.

"Ha ha, very funny. You know what I mean." I walked over to his dresser, where he was tossing another pair of pants into the suitcase. He pushed that drawer in and pulled out another one. "Why are we going to Italy?"

I looked away, embarrassed, as he pulled out a pair of boxers and flung them in the small suitcase as well. _Well, at least that answers one of my unanswered questions._ "Because you can't even be immortal without us having to worry about you." He snapped.

I was taken aback. He made fun of my magnetism for danger all the time, but he never got upset with me over it. "Wh-what?" I was hurt. Edward had never spoken to me like that.

He sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. "I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean for it to come out so harsh." Looking up at me, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. "This is just so confusing, and I was worried that you had given up your life for nothing.

I pressed my cheek to his cool chest. "Well, I'm sorry you have to constantly hold your breath to see if I'm going to make it through the day."

He squeezed me tightly. "It's not your fault, Bells. I'm sorry."

"I know." I wrapped my arms around him, sighing as I looked up. "Well, if we're going to Italy, I better start packing."

He nodded. "Mmm-hmm." Pressing a kiss to my forehead, he released me, gently nudging me out of the room. "I'll come help in a minute."

After I closed his door behind me, I started to go left, towards my room, but turned around and walked towards Alice and Jasper's. As I approached the door, I knocked gently. Alice opened immediately, her face brightening. "Oh, hey, you're awake! How're you feeling?"

"Good, thanks." She opened the door wider and I walked in. She was packing too. "Um, I wanted to talk to you about something.

She flashed from closet to suitcase, unlike Edward, who seemed to put thought into what he was packing. "Sure; what is it?" In a few moments, she was sitting on the suitcase, trying to zip it up.

"I was actually wondering what it was like for you when you had your visions." I fell onto her bed, smoothing my hand over the soft comforter. I was somewhat nervous to ask. Afraid that my strange scene might've been more than a dream.

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain." She said, standing up and pushing the barely zipped suitcase onto the floor with a "Thunk!" Satisfied, she sat on the bed next to me. "The best I can come up with is… it's like when you go into a movie theater, and then everything gets dark and the movie starts playing. Everything just kind of fades out and you're seeing something that you don't even play a part in." She winced. "It's definitely a rough explanation, but it's really hard to put into words. Do you understand?"

"Um, kinda. Thanks anyways." I stood up and made for the door, but she stopped me.

"Why do you ask?" she said, her caramel orbs wide.

I hesitated for a moment, but turned around and said, "Because I think I had a vision when I fainted."

She stood up immediately, walking towards me in a flash of white and black. "What was it about?" she asked firmly, dragging me back to the bed. She put her hands on my leg. "Were any of us in it, or was it of something inanimate?"

"Well, that's what I was thinking." I paused. "It wasn't in the future. It was like… I don't know, like seventeenth century." She nodded, encouraging me to continue. "There was just this girl, Katharine of the River, or something like that. She was singing at some ball, and she met this man."

"In the seventeenth century?" she confirmed.

I nodded. "Yes. But what was really weird was…I think the guy she met was a vampire. He had wine in his hand and he never drank it. He was really attractive. And he was a great dancer, like you guys… well… like us."

"I don't know what to say, Bella. Maybe you were seeing the past or something." She furrowed her thin eyebrows. "Was there anything out of the ordinary besides that?"

I bit my lip. "Yeah." I took a deep breath and said, "The girl looked exactly like me."

XD

Alice was hugging Jasper goodbye as Edward took our bags to the car. I smiled softly, but looked away, not wanting to watch their intimate moment. I knew Alice hated being away from Jasper, though she ended up doing so often.

All of a sudden, Edward burst in the door. "Emmett, get the gasoline!" He began gently pushing Alice and I away from the door as his brother was out in a flash, a red gasoline can in his hand.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to push my way through, but he held me tight.

"Bella, stay in here." He said firmly. "The mutts left us a gift, and we need to get rid of it." The look on his face was pure fury as he continued to hold me back from going outside. "_Bella_! Stay in _here_!"

"I just want to know what's going on!" I insisted, ducking under his arm and dashing out the door. He called after me, infuriated, but I walked outside anyways. My jaw dropped at the sight, and he pulled me away, but not before I saw what was lying on our front lawn.

Victoria's scarred, mangled body, drenched with blood.

_Hold your breath, love._

The stench suddenly hit me: it smelled like spoiled milk and rotten eggs. Sickeningly enough, the overly tempting aroma of the blood in her hair made my body twitch uncontrollably. My stomach churned, and I wasn't sure if it was because of the odor or because of the body. Edward put a hand on my waist and led me away, muttering about not listening to him.

"I was trying to tell you: Your sense of smell is too sensitive right now." He sighed and pushed my hair out of my face as my stomach heaved painfully, my arm wrapping around my torso. "What am I going to do with you?" At least I wasn't emptying the contents of my stomach, seeing as there were none. I was gagging, unable to breathe.

Edward took me in his arms, quickly running out of range of the stench. He set me down on the forest floor, letting me lean back against the trunk of a tree. "Shhh, you're okay. Try holding your breath." I did so, and it brought little relief. The sight of Victoria's face, her red eyes staring, her hair-already a vivid red-dripping blood, made my stomach twist painfully again.

"Why would they do that?" I whispered after my stomach stilled. "Were they bragging or something?"

Edward pulled me into his lap, resting his chin on the top of my head. It brought great help, masking the faint scent of gasoline with his own sweet aroma. "Well, that, but, Bella, they weren't just showing off. They were warning us, threatening us. And besides that. all that blood all over her tells me she wasn't just casually walking around the forest."

I felt that tugging at my chest again, the one that felt like I was about to cry. "I just can't imagine Jacob…" I trailed off, unable to say that my once best friend had so gruesomely murdered a woman, vampire or not, and left her for us to see, just because of some stupid feud.

The smell of decaying meat suddenly filled my nostrils, and Edward and I both looked up at the same time to see Jacob, several yards away, sneering at us. It was Sam's Jacob, not mine, that muttered. "She was_ feeding_. She got what was coming to her." and darted away in a flash.

Edward muttered under his breath, something too low for even my extremely sensitive ears to hear, and snarled. He picked me up again, walking back towards the house. "They're done now." He murmured, letting me bury my face in his chest as he quickly shot back to the house and put me in the car, sliding in next to me. "Just keep your eyes closed." He said softly, and I obeyed this time as Carlisle and Alice got in up front, speeding us away from the horrific scene.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, **(Edit: Eclipse)**, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me._

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story. __**Edit: Yay! I was right for once!**_

**Okay, thank nikkchikk for this chapter. You weren't supposed to get this until I beat myself into updating my other story, but I already had it written, and I just had to type it, so figured it wasn't fair to torture you guys. But I WILL update my other story before I post another chapter. So, everyone glomp nikkchikk and read this next chapter. Congratulations. It's my longest chapter yet. **_**Twice as long**_** as the first chappie. Oh, my aching back.**

**PS- I apologize if the formatting goes wacky. I've been working with a new program since my compy crashed, and it's not wanting to work for me. XP**

Chapter Six

I was in my own personal hell. I was sitting in a comfortable, first class seat on a half-empty plane, and I was in hell. I had Edward at my side, Clair de Lune playing in my headphones, a brand new Jane Austen book in my lap, and I was _still_ in hell.

The plane _was _half-empty, but if you saw it from my point of view, it was half-_full_. There was a seven or eight year old boy two seats ahead of me, playing with his personal fan. His scent was being blown straight at me, and there was a sharp pain in the back of my head from resisting for so long.

"Hold your breath, Bella." Carlisle whispered from behind me.

I did so. It helped minutely, but I was still shaking, my hands clasped almost painfully in my lap.

Edward was watching me warily, longingly. I could tell by the way he looked at me that he was just as miserable as I was. I wished I could tell him I'd be okay, that there was only an hour left to endure, but I couldn't even convince myself of that. My hands felt as if I was going to break them from holding them so tightly, and it felt like a knife was continually twisting into my skull.

He and Carlisle and Alice had argued the entire way to the airport over who was going to sit next to me. Alice had given in after the first few minutes, but Carlisle and Edward were still debating when we pulled into the parking lot. The doctor eventually gave in when we were going through security, and I had to beg them to stop and bury my face into Edward's shirt to keep from screaming right there. The smell of so many people pressing against me to get onto the plane was overwhelming.

I pulled my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth and squeezing my eyes shut. The woman to my right stretched, her hand just about a foot from my face. I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to keep from yelping.

"Amazing..." Carlisle murmured from behind me. "Her self-control is astounding!" He had already informed Edward and Alice of what to say if I started to lose it: I had some rare disease- something I couldn't even pronounce in my distressed state- and I was visiting a special hospital in Volterra for treatment.

I opened my eyes to see Edward's charcoal orbs flicker with pride before setting with worry once again.

"Edward," I began through gritted teeth. "Take out Clair de Lune and put in Phil's CD." I bit back a shout when the attendant walked by. "_Please_."

He did so and the loud, screaming music filled my ears. It did nothing for my headache, but it somewhat distracted my mind. The rest of the flight was slightly easier like that, holding my breath and unraveling the lyrics being screamed in my head. But when we were allowed off, after what seemed like forever, I moved as fast as I could go without blowing our secret.

The airport was vaguely familiar, so I found my way out easily, nearly crying with relief. No small children would die today because of me. I felt like screaming. When my family came out carrying our luggage, I was laughing, spinning and dancing. They smiled at me, obviously understanding my euphoric mood.

Edward set down the bags he was carrying and ran to me, spinning me in his arms. "Bella!" he shouted, almost as ecstatic as me. "You did it!"

"You've amazed even me." Carlisle said, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket. "That was outstanding for someone as young as you."

I couldn't help but beam at him, picking up my bag as he led us to the car a Mercedes much like his, but this one was a glittering blue. "It's a gift from the Volturi." Carlisle explained. "When I call ahead, they drop this off for me. Saves me the trouble of renting one."

I wanted to say, "That's nice of them," but the word "nice" was never used to describe the Volturi, so instead, I just kept grinning like an idiot.

"Alice, what is it?" Carlisle said about halfway through Volterra. I had been staring out the window, watching the scenery blur by, but I turned to look at the girl in question. She was swaying left to right, her eyes wide and blank.

She blinked. "Oh, no."

Edward growled at the same time.

"What is it?" Carlisle and I asked simultaneously.

"Bella, they want to try a couple..." She chose her words carefully. "tests... There's a woman there, a secretary."

I swallowed, remembering the pretty woman. My mouth was suddenly dry as I prayed for her next sentence not to come. It did anyways.

"They want to see your self-control, how you handle yourself around humans."

Edward and I both froze. "You mean..." I mumbled, wanting to cry. "I have to do all of that again?" My headache throbbed mockingly, all traces of my earlier high diminished.

She nodded. "It should be easier since it's only one woman, but..." She trailed off for a moment. "They're the Volturi. Who knows what they'll do?"

I groaned, letting my head fall into my lap. Edward rubbed my back gently. It helped, but not much. The pain in my head had just started to recede, and it would be coming back again at full force. Oh, the joys of vegetarianism.

Carlisle pulled to a smooth stop and I sat back up. We were in the parking lot of some warehouse. As I got out, Edward graciously took my bag.

"Where are we, Carlisle?" Alice asked, looking around in confusion.

The blonde grinned. "You'll see." He darted off behind the warehouse. We followed him for a couple blocks. When we stopped, we were standing in front of a very old building, hundreds of years old. It was beautiful, with elegantly engraved double doors.

"Is this where we're staying?" I asked, the awe in my voice evident to even me.

"Mmm-hmm." He looked behind him, where a stone fountain was bubbling proudly. "Everything's still the same..." He led us inside.

The inside was just as gorgeous as the outside. The doors opened to a large, open room with three staircases, one in the center, and one on each side of it. They were engraved elaborately, each of them a different design. The windows were stained glass, but the only colors were black, red, and white, swirled into some abstract design.

"Gorgeous." I whispered, looking at the different designs in the windows.

Carlisle laughed. "You haven't even seen the second floor yet."

Edward grinned as Alice and I both ran up the center staircase, simultaneously gasping. The entire roof was glass, opening to an inky grey sky. Alice had predicted the weather while we were on our way to the airport, and apparently, Volterra was in for one of their biggest storms in decades. Lucky us.

"Are you _serious_?!" Alice squealed, flashing down the hall. "Dibs on this room!"

The men laughed downstairs. "Just put your stuff down and come on, Alice." Edward called up to us. "The Volturi are expecting us."

She groaned and flew back to my side, dancing down the stairs. I followed her with a smile. "This place is beautiful, Carlisle."

He grinned as he turned towards the doors. "This is where I stayed when I lived here ages ago."

"Lucky you." Alice said, still gazing at the exquisite detailing on one of the staircases.

He led us outside and down a familiar alley, taking the lid off of a manhole. "Ladies first." Alice quickly jumped down, landing with a light tap. After a moment of hesitation, I jumped after her, and soon, the men were with us as well. The stone halls weren't as cold as I remembered, but then again, _I_ wasn't as _warm_ as I used to be.

When we reached the heavy iron doors, Eward easily opened them so we could step inside. The familiar hallway sent shivers down my spine. I walked hesitantly beside Edward, my hand clutching his shirt like a child holding onto its mother. He smiled down at me as we continued, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "It'll be alright."

A pair of smooth, wooden doors opened up in front of us, and I shuddered as I found myself in the waiting room from so many months ago. I noticed with dread that the secretary- who's name, Gianna, finally came to me- was not sitting at her desk. A beautiful boy was standing at another set of doors, the doors I had hoped to never go though again.

"Good evening, Alec." Carlisle said pleasantly. "I'm here to see Aro."

Alec said something to him, though it sounded like singing to me, and opened the doors. My fingers tightened in Edward's shirt, but he had stopped smiling, and was now staring into the stone room darkly.

"Carlisle, old friend!" I could hear Aro before I could see him. "It's been so long!"

I couldn't hear the doctor's reply; I was too busy trying to control the panic that spread throughout my body.

"Bella?"

Ice froze in the pit of my stomach. I hadn't noticed that I had been hiding behind Edward until he gently pulled me to his side, snaking his arm around my waist.

"Ah, hello, there, Bella." Aro smiled at me, his paper skin folding over itself.

"Hello." I whispered, nervousness destroying my musical voice.

"Don't be scared, dear; come here. Let me see you." He held a hand out to me, and Edward reluctantly let me go, putting his hand on the small of my back.

I took a few steps forward, placing my hand in his. He twirled me slowly. "Very beautiful..." he mused, his eyes scraping over me in a way that made me want to hide. "Oh," His face contorted into an unplaceable expression. "You're thirsty..."

"She made the entire plane ride here." Carlisle said proudly from behind me.

"Oh," Aro began, his tone slightly disappointed. "Then our little challenge shouldn't be too hard."

He was still for a while, his face unreadable. Then he shook his hand and motioned something forward from behind me. There was the soft tap of high heels on stone, and I was suddenly hit with a strong scent.

"Good evening." said a quiet voice from behind me.

I turned around slowly to see the pretty secretary trembling with fear. She as looking at the floor, her hands twisting in front of her.

"Hello." I replied in a tight, restrained voice. When I spoke, she flinched, as if awaiting a death blow. I wanted to tell her I wouldn't hurt her, but I was afraid to make a promise I couldn't keep.

"She's so pretty, isn't she?" Jane's soprano voice echoed in the large room. The small girl stepped out of the shadows, gliding towards us. "What I love is her hair. I'm so jealous." Jane began to run her fingers through Gianna's hair, and I had to bite back a yelp of surprise as the air was stirred with her scent. "Go on, Bella." She said, her voice laced with spite. "Touch it; it's so soft."

My headache was pounding in my head again, the feeling of an upcoming explosion returning. "Too close." I whispered through gritted teeth. Jane took my hand and threaded my fingers through the trembling woman's hair. An involuntary squeak jumped from my lips when the tempting smell swirled around us.

"She took ballet until she was twenty-six, you know." Jane continued, letting my hand fall into a balled fist at my side. "Go on," she told the secretary. "Show her how good you are."

Of course, she didn't dare disobey. The secretary stepped out of her shoes and rose _en pointe_, and did such complicated moves with such grace that I questioned her humanity. But then, the taste of her blood in the air was proof that she was, indeed, human.

I held my breath, screwing my eyes shut. The woman smelled delicious as she was, and Jane continued to practically throw the scent at me. I fell to my knees when her hand came within inches of my face. Gianna was crying now, and I could hear her heart pounding mercilessly in her chest.

Carlisle took a step towards me, but I heard Caius snarl and snap, "Step back!" before he could come to my aid. Edward was growling lowly under my breath.

"Whoops."

The room went silent as the smell of the secretary's blood wafted through the room.

A strangled shout ripped from my throat, and Edward was shouting at Aro to get her out of the room. I brought my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth.

And then I felt a hand on my shoulder. And then another one on my left. "It's okay, Bella." I couldn't open my eyes to see who it was without leaping at Gianna, but the voice wasn't one I recognized. It was deep and soothing. Whoever it was knelt in front of me, pulling me into his arms. "Shh, it's alright, Bella. Stop shouting." He smoothed my hair back. "You're not a monster, sweetheart, Jane is. You're not going to hurt that woman."

"I'm not a monster." I whimpered, letting my arms move from around my legs. The room had gotten disturbingly quiet, and I wondered if it was this vampire's ability.

"Yes, that's right. Come on, now, try to stand up." The minute he let go, the noise came back, but it was nothing more than an annoying buzzing.

I shook my head, far to much for the sharp pains in my head to handle. "I can't!" My voice cracked, and I knotted my fingers in my hair.

"Yes, you can." The voice said firmly. "Now stand up. Think of Edward; if he could do it, you can."

"I _can't_." I repeated, shaking uncontrollably.

"Don't say that, Bella." The voice commanded. "Just stand up. Mind over matter." He stood up himself and stepped away.

I knelt, my head pounding painfully. The others fell silent as I shifted my weight to my right foot.

"What is she doing?" Someone asked. I was too preoccupied to decipher who.

I pushed off my left foot, standing.

"Good job. Good girl, Bella." the deep voice coaxed. "Now open your eyes."

"I'll hurt her." I whimpered, moving my hands from my hair and fisting them at my sides.

"No you won't, sweetheart, now open your eyes; it'll help your headache." He encouraged, smoothing a hand over my hair.

"But I don't want to hurt her." I said, shaking my head.

"And you won't." he assured me. "You are in control of your body. Your body does not control you. _You're_ in charge."

_I'm in charge._

I opened my eyes. They locked on the woman, and a sob leaped from her throat as she backed away in fear, clutching a bloodied hand to her chest protectively.

"I won't hurt you." I said, my jaw clenched tightly. "I promise."

"That's right, Bella." The voice said. I looked around, but I couldn't find anyone near me, much less anyone speaking to me.

"Jane, dear, please take Gianna back out to fix her hand." Aro said pleasantly, awe evident in his voice.

Jane glared at me before grabbing the secretary's wrist and pulling her outside.

I breathed a shaky sigh of relief, my hands unfurling painfully. Her scent still floated around the room, but it was a thousand times easier without her in there with me.

"Outstanding!" Aro said, holding his arms out wide. "Absolutely _fantastic_!"

My family released the breath they'd been holding behind me, and Edward was at my side in millisecond. "I'm so proud of you." he whispered, hugging me tightly.

"Bella, that was absolutely amazing!" Aro continued. "Carlisle has taught you so well!"

"I had nothing to do with it." The doctor replied humbly. "That was all Bella."

"But what about..." I trailed off, looking around. Glancing up at Edward, I asked, "But who was helping me?"

The smooth voice I had heard the day before was giggling in the back of my head.

"Helping you?" His eyebrows furrowed. "Bella, no one was allowed to _touch _you."

"But then-" I stopped, realization hitting me.

Great. Another voice in my head.

Aro was still praising me, his eyes wide with excitement. "Bella, you must join us." he said, clasping his papery hands in front of him.

There was a low growl behind me, and I turned around to see Jane stalking back towards Aro.

"No, thank you." I replied cautiously. "I'd prefer to stay with my family."

"They can stay, too, of course." he insisted. "Alice? Edward?"

The two politely refused, and Jane smiled acidly.

"No? Oh, well, then." Aro sighed, looking at me again. "Now, Bella, I'm so curious." He held his hand out and I shakily gave him mine, praying that my immunity still worked against his ability.

The frown on his face told me it did. "Ah." Was all he said before turning away. "Now," He gestured to a table surrounded with chairs that I hadn't noticed before. "Let's sit and talk about this little situation."

Edward, his arm around my waist, led me to the table, pulling out my chair before sitting down himself.

"Now," Aro began. "I know you've been fainting, Bella, but I need details." He sat down across from me and looked at me with blood-red eyes. "Were you near anybody in particular. Or some place specific? Both times?"

I shook my head. "No. The first time, I was in the forest near our house with a friend of mine. The second time- er- this morning, I was with Edward at the house." My voice wavered; I was still shaken up from my "challenge".

Caius sat down as well, next to Aro. "How do you feel when you faint?" He asked in a bored tone. I never cared much for Caius, and I'm positive the feeling was mutual.

I shrugged. "Dizzy, I guess- nothing different than when I was human."

"Hmm..." Aro looked at me critically for a moment before his face lit up. "Maybe..." He stood up, motioning me to follow. I did so, and he led me to the middle of the room.

"Aro." Carlisle looked at the elder with a confused expression. "What's-"

"He thinks it may have something to do with an ability of hers." Edward interrupted, watching me curiously. "But even so, her ability- if she even has one- wouldn't start to show for about a year, right?"

"There's nothing ordinary about Bella." Alice reminded him, stepping up and putting her hands on his shoulders.

"Jane, dear," Aro said, motioning the sulking girl forward. "Would you mind trying your gift for me? On Bella?"

Her eyes flashed with pleasure and excitement before her memory set, and she glared at the floor. I held my breath as she began to look at me expressionlessly.

It wasn't painful really. It felt like when my legs fell asleep, prickling and sharp, like a thousand little needles were pricking my brain. It didn't hurt horribly, but I put a hand to my forehead nonetheless. My tiny gesture made Jane smile ecstatically. The needles became sharper, and a buzzing filled my ears.

"Stop it." I mumbled, the uncomfortable sensation spreading down my body. That just made her smile bigger, and the tiny needles turned into daggers. "Quit!" I said louder.

Aro clapped his hands happily, giggling. "Good, Jane."

I wanted to lunge at him for encouraging her, but I knew that would cause far too many problems. So instead, I stood there, getting angrier every second. "Stop it!" I shouted, glowering at the girl's angelic face.

She only laughed in response.

"I said," My fists clenched at my sides. "_Stop it_!"

The next thing I knew, my hair was flying around my face, and Jane was shrieking, flying back and slamming against the stone wall. When she crumpled to the floor, there was a large crack running up to the ceiling from the impact.

I fell to my knees, breathing heavily. I was suddenly exhausted, as if I had just sprinted across Italy.

"Just as I thought," Aro said, clapping his hands happily. "Exactly like Phillipe."

"Phillipe?" The name sparked something in my tired thoughts.

"He was a young vampire Marcus, Caius, and I found stumbling the streets one day." Aro waved his hand, dismissing the thought. "It was several hundred years ago. But he had fainting spells much like yours, Bella. One day he got so angry, he took out an entire wall." He laughed at some unseen memory.

Edward was at my side, helping me up and letting me lean on him.

"Bella," Aro continued, his face one of pure joy. "You have the ability to bend emotional energy to your will." He laughed. "A very dangerous weapon if you can learn to harness it."

That wasn't what kept my mouth open in shock. "Phillipe- what happened to Phillipe?"

Caius sighed from his spot at the table. "He ran off as soon as he could control the ability. The last we heard, he was falling for some human girl in France." He snorted, and Edward's arm subconsciously tightened around me.

My stomach clenched. "Did Phillipe have..." I swallowed. "visions?"

Aro's eyebrows furrowed, crumpling his papery skin. "No, I don't believe he did." He shook his head, his brow smoothing again. "It may just be the energy manifesting itself in a dream-like state."

"That makes sense." I murmured, but I didn't believe it myself.

"Thank you so much, Aro." Carlisle said, standing. "Is there anything we can do to help her control this gift?" He shoved a hand in his pocket.

"Caius shook his head. "Phillipe had to do it on his own. She must too."

Aro chuckled. "You might want to watch her temper, though. That's when it'll flare."

Carlisle nodded. "Thank you, my friends. It was so good to see you, but I'm sure Esme is very anxious to be informed. May we be excused to leave?" He ran a hand through his blonde hair. "It's been a long day for all of us, especially Bella."

I sighed with relief when they dismissed us, leaning on Edward as we walked away. Carlisle stopped when he reached the secretary's desk. Her eyes flickered to me warily, and I held my breath, my hands clenching.

"Thank you, Gianna." Carlisle murmured, signing a few papers on her desk. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Part of the job." she murmured softly. She smiled faintly, and tucked the papers he had signed into a manila folder. "They ask that you leave the car in the B section of the airport parking lot." Her eyes flashed to me again, an unreadable expression on her face. "They also ask that-" She swallowed. "That Miss Swan stay indoors for the remainder of your stay."

Carlisle nodded and smiled gently. "Of course. Volterra will be in no danger."

Gianna exhaled sharply and nodded. Her hands shook as she shuffled various papers on her desk, and guilt washed over me. It was then that I noticed her bandaged hand. "Have a good evening." She said, smiling up at Carlisle.

Edward put a hand on the small of my back, leading me out of the main room. Just before the heavy iron doors closed behind us, I heard her soft whisper. "_Thank you._"

.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.

"Oh, look at that one!" Alice gasped, pointing at the dress on the laptop's screen. It was a pale blue, swirls of gold decorating the bodice. The sleeves were huge- each arm would be weighed down with at least fifteen extra pounds of fabric.

I snorted. "First of all, you'd be lost in that thing. Second of all, that looks like something from the medieval ages." I laughed at the thought of tiny Alice being hidden in folds and folds of silk. The image it brought was humorous.

"Carlisle didn't tell you?" She asked, clicking back to the main page of the online store she'd found. "They chose the theme yesterday-" Alice grinned, her caramel eyes sparkling. "Masquerade Madness."

I scoffed. "How cheesy is _that_?"

She rolled her eyes, scrolling through a list of boutiques. "Hey, look!" Biting her lip, she clicked on a link. "This place is nearby."

The homepage was a light pink, and it had two pictures in the center, of the owners, I supposed. _"__Cioccolato Dentellare"_ was written across the top in some fancy writing. I couldn't read a word of any of it; everything was written in Italian.

"What's that mean?" I asked, pointing to the two words.

"Pink Chocolates." She moved the mouse to the left side of the screen, looking at the several links. She clicked on one and a page of dresses came up. Alice's eyes widened with excitement. "Gorgeous!"

We were curled up on the old-fashioned bed in her room. (Who knew how old it was?) Edward and Carlisle were off in the city somewhere, doing whatever they did together. Lucky for them, the sky was turning blacker by the minute. It had started raining a couple times, but when it did, it only lasted for a few minutes. We were staying overnight, and we would leave the next day when the skies were clear.

Alice suddenly gasped. At first I thought she was having a vision, but then she pointed at the screen. "Look! It's Heidi!"

My eyes darted to the page. Sure enough, the vampire from many of my nightmares was smiling at us, modeling an old renaissance gown. Her eerie violet eyes were staring at us, as if she knew some sort of secret that we didn't.

"Can't stand her." Alice muttered, her eyes scanning the screen. "But I love that dress."

I stood up from the bed, not wanting to look at the gorgeous vampire. "When do you think Edward and Carlisle will be back?" I was getting impatient. Hanging out with Alice was fun, but she had become obsessed with Carlisle's laptop as soon as he pulled it out of the case.

A huge grin spread across her face, but it quickly disappeared. "I'm not sure. Some sort of decision hasn't been made yet."

I groaned. Keeping me in that building, large as it was, was going to drive me crazy. "What are they even doing?" All Edward had told me before he pressed a kiss to my forehead and left was that he and Carlisle were going to "take care of some business". It sounded like he was in the mafia to me.

"They went down to the bank. They're sorting through some of Carlisle's old things. Properties, houses, the things in his safe box, that kind of stuff." The corners of her mouth twitched upwards. "He has some old jewelry he's taking care of, so they may come back bearing gifts."

"But you don't know when they'll be back?" I ran a hand through my brown locks, feeling like a caged animal.

"Nope." Her eyes stayed on the screen as she clicked through _Cioccolato Dentellare_'s website. "But they shouldn't be too long; the storm's going to start in a couple of hours, and even _we_ don't want to get caught in _that_."

Sighing, I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against the doorway behind me. Looking up, I could see that the dark sky was taking on an orangish hue, and knew that the sun was setting.

Alice suddenly gasped and sat up as straight as possible. Her hands moved across the keyboard in a blur before she shut the laptop, nearly breaking it. She darted to the other side of the room, singing something about her credit card. Then, she was in front of me, her hands on my shoulders.

"Bella, I've found the most beautiful, most perfect dress for the charity ball." Her eyes turned pleading. "Can you _please, please, please_ stay out of trouble for thirty minutes while I go give them the information they need to make it for me? I'm begging you."

I put a hand to my forehead and nodded, sighing. "I suppose, so, but then again..." I furrowed my eyebrows. "When was the last time I was alone without nearly getting killed by thugs or jumping off a cliff?"

She gave me a stern look. "Thirty minutes, Bella. _Thirty_. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Yes, Alice, I can handle it." I put a hand on my hip as she let go of my shoulders and squealed with excitement. "Now, go get your dress."

She was out of the room before I could blink. I frowned and moved back to the bed, opening the laptop to see what she had gotten so worked up over. Stupid psychic. She had closed the page. Her head suddenly peaked out from the doorway. "Oh, and Bella?" I looked up, and she winked at me. "The dress is for you, not me." And she was gone again.

I shook my head. "Will I ever get to choose my own dress?" I muttered, scrolling through the selection of gowns. She had brilliantly taken it back to the main page so I wouldn't find out what it looked like. The gowns were pretty, but every time I clicked on one I thought looked nice, Heidi would appear on the screen, wearing the gorgeous dress.

With a sigh, I stood up and closed the laptop. When _was_ the last time I had been alone? It felt like forever... I had yet to see the entire house, as large as it was, so I decided to take a small tour. The hallways were large and open, the perfect scenery for some twisted horror film. I could just picture it- a young woman hiding in the complicated architecture, running up the elaborate staircases to find a psychotic murderer standing at the top, waiting for her.

I shook my head, pushing the thought away. While I knew it'd be hard to kill me, I could still easily scare myself.

I found myself downstairs after a few minutes, tracing the engravings on the staircases with my fingertips. It was starting to get dark, and I wondered what we were going to do about light. My eyes kept flickering to the large double doors, temptation pounding through me. How furious would the Volturi be if I went outside? The storm would be starting soon, and it was getting dark, so how many humans would really be out there?

But what about Edward? Would he be upset with me for breaking the rules, or would he just be angry with Alice for leaving me alone? I was immortal, though. The worst that could happen would be the Volturi getting angry that I had disobeyed. But how would they know?

I bit my lip. The idea of seeing Volterra during twilight sounded wonderful- it'd just be a walk around the square... I could control myself well enough if I ran into anybody...

Before I knew what I was doing, my feet were moving towards the doors, and my hands were stretched out, pushing them open. I floated down the first few steps, breathing in the smell of the coming storm.

It was a beautiful night. The moon was full and peeking out from behind a thick blanket of black clouds, a beacon of light in a city of shadows. The stone fountain from before was no longer bubbling, but laid still, reflecting the moon's rays so that it looked like it was glowing. The air was cool, and surprisingly dry for the upcoming storm.

Stepping out into the streets, I looked around. I could hear a few low voices and a guitar being picked expertly, but I couldn't see anyone nearby. Other then those noises, the night was quiet, dead, not at all like the busy, crowded city I remembered from so many months ago.

As I turned a corner, the night came alive again. The lights from a noisy bar poured into the streets, casting sickly, flickering shadows across my path. I could see three men standing in front of the building, drinking out of blue glass bottles. I could smell the bitter alcohol from several yards away.

They shouted at me as I neared, laughing and making vulgar gestures. I sighed and rolled my eyes, annoyed that they were ruining my peaceful walk. The man between the other two had a puckered scar running from his temple to his upper lip. He winked at me as I approached. "Hey, sweetheart, what's someone as pretty as you doing out so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing." I answered with a flat, annoyed tone.

When I passed, they started laughing and followed, their footsteps deafening compared to mine. "Oh, come on, baby, don't be like that." Another said, this one bald and skinny.

"I'm not your baby." I hissed. A few months ago, this situation would have terrified me. Now, I was just irritated.

They were getting closer, and a flash of lightning sparked in the distance. The thunder rumbled as a gust of wind blew their scents my way. It wasn't as wonderful-smelling as Gianna's, and it was mixed with alcohol, but the aroma made me stop nonetheless.

"There ya go, babe." Scarface said, walking to my side. He looked me up and down, grinning as he slurred, "We just want to talk."

_Too close!_ My mind shrieked as I fisted my shaking hands. _Don't think about the blood. Think about Edward. Try to run away._

But my feet wouldn't move. Scarface started to twirl a lock of my hair around his finger. The scent made me gasp, and I bit my lip to keep from slaughtering him right there.

"Remember Carlisle." The deep voice suddenly boomed in the back of my mind. "Self-control. You are not a monster."

Scarface was saying something again, his buddies laughing as they stepped up to me as well. "You are not a monster." I whispered to myself. I nearly yelped when the bald one started to run his hand through my hair as well. "_You are not a monster!_"

I took a step, and then- not without effort- another. But just then, I felt a hand brush a cross my backside and froze mid-step. Something snapped inside of me as they burst into boisterous laughter, but it wasn't how I expected. Instead of feeling wild, unbridled, I was eerily calm.

I turned on my heel to face them, a smile stretching across my lips. They all had pleased grins on their ugly faces. Slowly backing into the dark alley behind me, I held a hand up, curling my fingers so they'd follow me into the shadows.

Scarface chuckled and followed, but the other two hesitated. "Come on." I said to them. "You're invited, too." They reacted as I'd hoped, laughing and following me into the alley.

"Now," I said, leaning against the wall and putting my hands on my hips. "Who's first?"

Scarface chuckled slowly, stepping up and putting his hands on the wall on either sides of my head. "I believe that would be me."

The thunder rumbled.

"Wonderful." I murmured, raising a hand to trace his puckered scar. He began to lower his face to mine, and I could smell the disgusting alcohol on his breath.

Just before his lips brushed mine, I drew back my arm and hurled all my strength at him. He flew to the ground; I could hear several bones in his head shattering. I looked at his two friends as the stared at me with disbelief. "Next."

The man standing next to the bald one came to his senses first and tried to run. I quickly disposed of him as well.

It didn't feel like it was _me _doing all these gruesome acts. I knew what was happening, but it was as if I was standing to the side, watching as I pinned Baldy to the cold ground.

"Now," I said softly, inwardly fighting the physical need that had overcome me. "I don't like people touching my hair. Especially when they've been drinking."

My voice wasn't one I recognized, and I was screaming inside, trying to stop myself from simply slamming his head against the ground. The thunder rumbled above me, and the first raindrop fell, hitting him squarely in the forehead.

More drops followed, pelting my back. I smiled. "What a wonderful effect." He was pleading, begging, just as I was, as I put my hand around his throat and squeezed tightly. Even as I did so, I was crying inside, screaming at myself, but it was as if I was being forced to do it, like a puppet master was pulling on the strings.

I watched with inner despair as my hand refused to respond, squeezing harder. The man struggled in vain beneath me until his body stilled.

_Drink._

I recognized the smooth voice from before, sounding as if he was standing just behind me.

"No," I whispered, shakily, scrambling away from the bodies. "I won't. Never."

_Drink!_

"I won't do it!" I shrieked, wrapping my arms around me as the rain started to fall harder than ever. But then everything blurred and turned to black.

When I awoke, I was standing in front of Carlisle's old building again, the storm crashing all around me. Lightning was flashing from every direction, illuminating the pitch black world in front of me. I slowly climbed the front steps, pushing the doors open with ease. They swung back and slammed against the walls. As I glided inside, they slammed shut again.

Trembling, I slowly made my up the stairs and down the hall. Every molecule in my body wanted to scream out for someone, but my jaw clenched tightly. I didn't notice that I was soaking wet until I was in my room, looking through the glass roof into the fury of the storm. Looking down, I numbly stripped of the cold, dripping clothes.

I don't know how, but I ended up lying in the middle of the floor, the bed sheet pulled tight around me. Staring up at the black sky, I tried to float, tried to clear my mind of the vivid, gruesome images that came at me from every direction, but my frantic thoughts refused to still.

So, I laid there shaking, watching as rain spattered above me, torturing myself with my newest memories.

What seemed like lifetimes later, I could hear footsteps outside, my family shouting my name- Edward loudest of all. I merely curled into a tighter ball, tugging the sheets more securely around me.

I could hear my love flying up the stairs now, and my door creaked open.

"Bella..."

The sound of his voice made me shake even harder, and I shut my eyes as tight as I could. He was at my side before I could exhale, pulling me into his arms. "Bella, what happened? Bella?" His patient voice threaded with worry. "Isabella, say something- open your eyes."

I tried pushing him away, but he held on tighter. Snarling, I pushed him away again, this time succeeding in falling back onto the floor with a _thump. _

Alice was standing in the doorway, I knew. I pulled the sheet up to cover my face, ignoring the stares I was receiving from both of them.

Edward suddenly rolled me onto my back, pinning me to the ground. I let out a sharp cry as I remembered holding the bald man so. "Bella, you went outside despite everyone's pleading, ran into three drunk men, and then just suddenly disappeared from Alice's sight. _What happened_?" His voice was furiously worried, and I knew he hated yelling at me.

"No!" I shouted, trying to squeeze my eyes shut tighter, wanting to disappear.

"Bella, please. Tell me." He pleaded, pushing a piece of my wet hair away from my face.

"No!"

"Bella!" He snarled. "What happened?!?!"

"No!"

I heard Alice's voice floating form the doorway. "Edward..." she cautioned gently.

"I know." he replied blackly. "Bella, _open your eyes._"

So I did.

His livid, golden orbs suddenly softened. "Oh, no..."

I broke down, then, sobbing hysterically. A distant part of my mind absently noted the strangeness of crying without tears, but everything was flooding out of me, and I buried my face into Edward's chest ashamedly.

He took me into his arms again, adjusting the sheet around me. "Shh..." he murmured quietly, rocking me back and forth. "I'm so sorry, Bella, I didn't mean to shout..." He whispered something to Alice and she disappeared, leaving us alone.

Edward rubbed abstract patterns into my back as I sobbed, choking on the tightness in my throat every few moments. He was soaking wet, I noticed, but I didn't even stop to be embarrassed at the fact that the white sheet would soon be translucent.

After what seemed like forever, I calmed, but Edward continued to rock me. He was softly singing my lullaby, and I tried to hum along, but I found my voice refused to work.

"How about," he began softly. "You get dressed, and then we'll go down to the beach for a few hours." Edward smoothed my hair back, kissing my forehead. "How's that sound?"

I quickly nodded, wanting nothing more than to get away from Volterra.

He smiled and stood, gently placing me on the bed before leaving, shutting the creaky door behind him.

I took my time digging through my suitcase, making a mess of all my neatly folded clothes. When I had thoroughly muddled my suitcase, I picked up a pair of jogging pants and a favorite thermal. Once I was dressed, I rolled the pants up to my knees and stepped into a pair of tennis shoes.

I opened my door and immediately felt like someone was staring at me. I wasn't sure if somebody was or not, but none the less, I snapped at the darkness. "It's just another shade of red." I hissed, moving down the hallway as I pulled my wet hair into a messy ponytail.

The storm was still raging above me, throwing splattered shadows across the stone floor. The lightning was less often, though, and the thunder wasn't more than a low hum.

Edward was waiting for me when I reached the base floor. He was leaning against the wall, murmuring something to Carlisle. I didn't even bother listening. When they heard me, the doctor was at my side immediately. "I'm sorry, dear." He said, putting his hands on my arms. "I knew you were trying so hard."

I nodded silently and broke away, though it hurt to snub him so. "Let's just get out of here." I murmured, folding my arms over my chest. Looking down, I began to tremble when I saw a thin line of blood under each of my nails. I quickly removed them with a blur of my hand.

"It's okay, Bella." Edward coaxed, placing his hand on the small of my back. He raised an umbrella over us and Carlisle opened the doors. The rental Mercedes was parked in front of the steps. Edward led me down, opening my door for me before getting into his own spot of the wheel.

I brought my knees to my chest as he drove, leaning against my door. Rolling my eyes, I noted that Edward was only going sixty. "Just drive, Edward; I want to get out of here." He silently obeyed, and the engine purred as he sped up to ninety.

The window was smeared with rain, as if we were driving through a lake, but it didn't bother him. "I really am sorry, sweetheart."

"I wish everyone would just stop saying that." I said impatiently. "It's not like it's any of your faults." Glaring out my window, I sighed and pushed down the emotions that threatened to overflow again.

"Bella," He matched my sigh, choosing his words carefully. "We got something for you about a month ago. Open the glove box."

I did so and pulled out a small white box. Curious, I opened it and looked back up at him. "Contacts?" My self-hate dissipated into confusion.

"Colored contacts." He affirmed. "Jasper said when he slipped up a couple times, he hated having red eyes to remind him of what he did." Edward pointed at the box in my hands. "He has some like these, but he hasn't used them in a long time."

"Nice to know you have so much faith in me." I muttered, but I pulled down the mirror anyways. "Thank you..."

My eyes were a glaring shade of red, almost the color of Rosalie's convertible. I frowned, and my reflection did so as well, her perfect lips forming a crescent. Reaching into the box, I pulled out one of the small, plastic containers, ripping off the tinfoil.

Once I had the contacts in, I continued to look at my eyes. They were now a auburny-brown color, but when I turned to my head a certain way, I could still see red glittering from beneath.

"I don't even remember drinking." I told him, snapping the mirror back up. "One minute I'm-" I swallowed, my throat dry. "I'm strangling the guy, and the next, I'm standing out by the fountain." Moving the arm rest first, I laid down, resting my head on his thigh.

"It'll all be okay." He assured me, taking down my hair and threading his fingers through it. "We've all slipped up at one time or another. And you can't blame yourself. You have amazing self-control for a newborn."

"Good, but not good enough." I mumbled. I frowned as I realized he had changed into dry clothes as well. "I'm sorry; my hair's getting your jeans wet."

He laughed softly. "Wasn't I the one who took your hair out, silly Bella?"

We stayed in silence for a long time after that. He turned on Clair de Lune for me, and I hummed along, drawing doodles on his knee with my fingertip.

"What are you thinking?" He said a while later, brushing his thumb across my cheek.

"That I haven't hated myself this much since Jacob started falling in love with me." I replied darkly, frowning.

He chuckled without humor. "Bella, I think you may finally be getting a glimpse of what it was like for me when I first met you."

"It's hell." I agreed.

"Yes," He said softly, moving his hand to rest on my waist. "But remember what Emmett always says."

I smiled. "Hell's not so bad if you get to keep an angel with you."

"Mmm-hmm. I've been through my hell. It's just your turn."

I sighed, frustrated with myself again. "Yeah, but still... I was trying so hard to stop myself, but..." My voice caught. "I couldn't."

"Bella, if you hadn't killed them, then I would have."

I looked up at him. "You know what happened?"

"So far as them trying to touch you. That's when you decided to kill-" He winced as he realized the insensitivity in his words. "When you made your decision, because that's where you disappeared for Alice."

"But why would I disappear?" I asked. "Doesn't Alice usually see us stronger than everybody else? I didn't die, and there's not a werewolf around..."

He sighed. "That's what Carlisle and I were talking about before we left, actually. And we can't think of any good reason." Looking down at me, he frowned. "I guess this trip's given us more questions than answered, hm?"

"What do you mean?" I mumbled, pulling my hair aside so it wouldn't ruin his jeans any further.

Edward furrowed his eyebrows at me. "You didn't notice?" When I shook my head, he looked at me incredulously. "Bella, Jane couldn't hurt you last time. Today, for some reason, she was able to at least have _some _effect on you."

I groaned. "Another mystery to drive me crazy during my sleepless nights. Just when I thought I had everything figured out."

Edward laughed. "I'm over a hundred years old and I still don't have everything figured out." He smiled slyly at me. "Especially you." His smile grew bigger as he slowed down and came to a smooth stop. "We're here."

I sat up, looking around. The ocean was laid out in front of me, midnight colored waves crashing onto the white sand. He grinned. "I haven't been to the beach in decades." After throwing a quick smile to me, he got out, blurring around the car to open my door. It wasn't raining here, and the moonlight was glittering off the water.

"I wish I had brought a bathing suit." I whispered, gazing at the horizon.

He smiled mischievously, walking towards the water and pulling his shirt off. "It doesn't bother me."

I scoffed, smiling despite myself. "Edward!"

He just laughed. "You can keep your clothes on if you want, but it'll be a long ride back if you do." I watched with extreme embarrassment as he stripped and ran into the water, diving smoothly.

I would have blushed furiously if I could. "What if someone comes and sees?" I shouted over the roar of the waves.

"On a deserted beach at two in the morning?" He called back. I saw him grin, knowing he was right. "Come on, Bella, I won't look." He turned around, putting a hand over his eyes.

I sighed and- despite my best judgment- pulled my shirt over my head. "What sparked this sudden devious attitude?" I asked as I removed my sweatpants as well.

"You need a little cheering up." He said. "I've learned that the best way to do that is to either go feed the homeless or to be a little wild. I figured there wouldn't be too many soup kitchens open right now, so I opted for the latter."

I hesitated as I reached for the clasp of my bra. But he was right. I'd rather not go home wearing wet underwear. Sighing, I stripped bare and waded until the water was up to my waist. "Okay, I whispered, covering my chest with my arms. "I'm in. Are you happy?"

He grinned, turning back around. "Ecstatic." After a moment of silence, he burst into laughter at my stiff position. "Loosen up, Bella." He wrapped his arms around my waist. "You don't have to worry about that with me." And he kissed my lips softly.

Smiling devilishly, I pushed him into the water. Laughing, I swam away as he tried to jump after me. "Bella!" he roared playfully, laughing himself as I slid from his grasp. Suddenly, he disappeared under the water. I looked around warily, expecting him to jump out from anywhere.

And then his arms were around my waist, his mouth on my neck. "Gotcha." I shivered as he pulled me close, his chest pressing to my back.

My throat tightened as my mind flashed back to the look of surprise on the mens' faces. Would it have turned out the same way if they hadn't been drunk? Would they have followed me like they did? Or would they have stayed where they were and lived to see the sunrise?

"Stop thinking about that." Edward commanded, turning me around and holding me close. "I told you to forget about that."

"But you can't-"

"No, but I do know you." He tightened his arms around my waist. "Look, Bella, Alice has already seen the Volturi excusing us to go home. Those men were slime. Remember when you went too Port Angeles with Jessica and Angela?" He waited until I nodded. "It took everything I had, plus you, not to kill them, and I've been at this life for over one hundred years."

"But that was a temper issue, not a thirst issue." I retorted.

Pausing first, he kissed the top of my head. "But you were doing so well before they tried to touch you. So maybe it _was _a temper issue."

I sighed. He wasn't getting it. "Edward, I snuffed out three lives. While they may have been slime, they were slime with family and friends. What about their girlfriends or wives? What about their kids? What about-"

He cut me off, capturing my lips in his. I felt every bad thought rush out of me as he wrapped his arms tightly around me. "Stop talking like that." He breathed, knowing he could bend me to his will. "I hate it when you're upset." His hand found its way through my hair, holding the back of my neck firmly.

I was getting dizzy. Not head dizzy, like what I got when I was still human, but heart dizzy. They way he was holding me, drawing patterns onto my back with his fingertips, my heart felt like it was about to burst.

"Promise me," He began, tracing my lips with the tip of his tongue. "That you're not going to worry about that anymore."

I frowned. "That would have to include _forgetting_." I muttered.

He made his kiss more urgent, crushing me to him. "Then forget about it."

Forget about what, again?

"I will," I breathed. "I promise."

His entire demeanor changed. His tight grip loosened, his lips softened against mine. He sighed contentedly. "It'll turn out alright."

I tilted my head as his lips moved to what would be my pulse point. His grip on my waist was gone, and his hands moved to my ribs. I frowned as a dark cloud moved over the moon. It reminded me that there would be three more men not coming home that night.

Edward mush have noticed that I was upset, because he growled lowly. "Bella..." he muttered. "Please don't ruin this."

I nodded, forcing my mind to think about something else. His mouth on my neck, the waves crashing around us, his thumb caressing the underside of my breast. I couldn't bite back the moan that swelled in my throat. He smiled against my neck, chuckling lowly. His lips returned to mine, and soon, we had a rhythm to match the rushing waves.

It soon _was_ impossible to think of anything else. His mouth was everywhere: my lips, my neck, my shoulders. My hands were knotting in his wet hair as his thumb rubbed the underside of my breast into a delicious rawness.

And then I could tell he was about to push me away as he moved his hands back to my waist and his lips found their way back to mine. He kissed me softly twice before breaking away, a look of pain and regret glittering in his eyes. "We can't." he breathed, cupping my cheek in his palm. "Not tonight. Not after everything you've been through."

I growled under my breath. "And I was just beginning to forget."

He smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I'm not going to take advantage of you when you're so emotionally unstable."

Frowning, I replied, "I wish you would."

His smile wavered, and he smoothed my hair back. "Not tonight, Bella."

I sighed, looking down and shaking my head. Breaking away, I waded to shore, not missing the bright blush that would have ruined my face. "Where's your shirt?"

He pointed to the hood of the car, grinning. "Why _my_ shirt? You have your own clothes." he teased.

I walked to the car and picked up the crumpled piece of fabric, pulling it over my head. It was too big, obviously. The sleeves covered my hands, and it cut off just below my backside. I smiled. Perfect. "Because if I put on my clothes, they'd get wet." I replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh, so let's just put on _my_ shirt. Who _cares_ if that gets wet?" He joked sarcastically.

"Yep." I grinned, tugging on the sleeves. "But if I get my clothes messed up, then I can't wear them. And then people would stare."

"It's two in the morning!" He held his arms out at his sides. "We're going straight home!"

I laughed. "Keep at this and I'll run back into the water with your shirt on."

"Bella..." He growled playfully.

"Bup-bup-bup!" I held up a finger and pointed to myself. "Still wearing your shirt."

"Whatever." He laughed, wading towards me.

I looked away, embarrassed, as he tugged on his jeans. "Are we leaving?"

He shrugged. "Do you want to?"

I mirrored his shrug. "Don't want to leave, but I don't feel up to swimming anymore."

"Then, no, we're not leaving." Edward was in the car in a flash, slipping in a jazz CD and turning it up loudly. He reached in the back and pulled out a thick, black blanket. Spreading it out where I was standing, he gestured towards it. "How's that?"

I smiled and sat down, smoothing his shirt over my thighs. "Perfect."

Edward laid down beside me, stretching out and putting his hands behind his head. I smiled softly at him. He looked like a Greek god, the moonlight hitting him in a way that made him almost glow. His torso was perfect, as if the artist who had created this perfect sculpture in front of me had spent months upon months agonizing over the smallest detail.

I bit my lip, wondering if I looked beautiful enough to be his Greek goddess.

He smiled at me, as if he could hear my thoughts, and said, "You_ are_ gorgeous, Bella."

I frowned at him. "I'm really starting to wonder if you're making up that whole 'can't read your mind' thing just to make me feel comfortable around you."

He laughed, moving his gaze to the thinly blanketed sky. "I promise you, you still frustrate me to this very moment. And unfortunately for me, I'm sure it's going to be that way for a very long time."

A breeze suddenly blew past me and I shivered- it was like ice. "Dang, it's colder than I thought it would be." I shoved my hands in the pockets of his shirt, furrowing my eyebrows when my fingers wrapped around something in the pocket. "What's this?" I mumbled, pulling out a small, flat, black box. I was confused for a moment before I remembered Alice saying something about he and Carlisle sorting through the doctor's things. With that thought, I handed it to Edward, the bubbling thoughts subsiding.

"You don't even want to know what's in it?" Edward asked, his eyebrows furrowed into one neat line. "Women usually see boxes like these and rip them open." He shook his head, sitting up.

"I thought you knew I wasn't like most women." I teased, pulling my knees to my chest.

He smiled to himself. "That is very true." After looking at the small box for a moment, he opened it and pulled something out.

"Bella," He sighed. "I know I've asked you before, but," Gazing straight into my eyes, he handed me a tiny ring. "I want you to marry me."

The panic blocked my vocal chords. I stared at the ring, my lips slightly parted. It was beautiful. The silver band was delicate, almost looking like it would snap if I held it the wrong way. In the center sat a square-cut emerald, glittering in the moonlight. Why, oh, why did he have to be so good to me?

"Now, I know you don't like the idea of us marrying so young, but think about what it would mean for Charlie and Renee." Edward looked at me pleadingly, and I found my vocal chords.

"_Mean_ to them?" I looked at him incredulously. "You understand Charlie keeps a loaded gun in the house at all times, right?"

He grinned, putting a hand on my knee. "Yes, but Bella, after a while, you won't be able to visit them anymore, especially Charlie. We're supposed to be leaving for college in Alaska at the end of the summer, and you and I can't look like teenagers forever." He sighed, knowing how much I loathed the idea. "If you want your father to be able to give you away at your wedding, it will have to be soon."

I looked at the ocean. He was right, of course. It wouldn't be fair to my parents for me to visit a few times over the next seven or so years and then never see them again. Especially if they knew that I fully intended on living the rest of my life with Edward. Charlie would be even more angry if he found out we eloped or didn't invite him to the wedding. I couldn't even bear to think how crushed my mother would be.

I sighed. "I know you're right, but..." His eyes gazed up at me painfully. "What would they think?"

Edward smiled sadly. "They'd think that you're just a kid, that you're making a mistake." he said softly. "But we can prove them wrong." He took the ring from my hand, holding it out to me. "You've already said you'll want me forever, that you can't live without me. Now all you have to do is repeat it after a minister."

I closed my eyes, nodding. God, I hated him being right. "Okay," I whispered, opening my eyes again. "I'll do it."

His eyebrows shot up, his smile blinding. "Repeat that, please..."

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "Yes, Edward," I said louder. "I will marry you." That was all I could say before his ring was on my finger and his kiss was pressing me to the ground.

Somewhere in Italy, I knew, Alice was screaming with excitement.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, **(Edit: Eclipse)**, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me.

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story.__**Edit: Yay! I was right for once!**_

**Hola, peoples. I finally updated on my other story [insert hallelujah chorus here and I couldn't wait to get this out to you guys! Read up! By the way, if you want a picture of Bella's dress or ring, tell me in a review or PM me and I'll try to get back to you.  
**

Chapter 7

"Is he up yet?" I asked for the millionth time that night. As of now, it was 5:48, and my family was becoming extremely annoyed with me.

"No, Bella." Edward said, his fingers dancing across the keys of his piano. "Calm down. Charlie will wake up when it's time for him to wake up." He looked over at me, the flood of beautiful music never ceasing. "Why don't you go do something with Alice? Anything has to be better than just sitting here and suffering."

I sighed, standing up from my place on the couch. "You're right."

Next to me, Emmett released a "_Whoop!_" of delight. "Finally!"

"Oh, shut up." I snapped, kicking him in the shin. "You didn't have to tell the Hale's that you and Rosalie were getting married."

"True." He grinned and pushed me lightly. "And I don't envy you. Now, go find something relaxing to do."

Smiling, I glided up the stairs and into Alice's room, where the tiny woman was flipping through a fashion magazine. "Hey, Bella!" she chirped, moving so that there was room for me to lay down on the bed.

"Hey, Alice."

"So," she smiled evilly. "Emmett and Edward kicked you out of the living room, huh?"

"They did not kick me out!" I exclaimed defensively. "They thought it'd be better for me to do something to keep my mind off of Charlie." Falling on the bed next to her, I looked at her magazine. "Of course, anything to do with you probably isn't going to be very relaxing."

Her face lit up. "Do you want me to brush your hair?" Alice had a strange obsession with hair. Several times a day, she asked either me, Esme, or Rosalie if she could brush our hair. I'd heard the story several times. She'd never had pretty long hair to brush, and it was always so soft. She'd started with Esme's hair, and then, when she opened up, Rosalie's. Mine was, by far, she always said, her favorite.

I sighed. "Why not?"

Alice squealed with excitement, an old, antique brush in her hand. "Okay, go sit in that chair- I'll be right back."

I did as I was told, getting up from the bed and sinking into the chair in front of her vanity. In the mirror, I could see my honey eyes staring back at me. I frowned as I remembered how long it had taken for the crimson color to drain away, almost two weeks. The hassle of having to put in those ridiculous contacts drove me insane, but the sight of my bright red orbs brought up memories I had tried to suppress.

Alice returned, a blur of white and black in the mirror. "Okay, do you want to listen to this," she stuck a CD in front of my face. "Or this?" Another disc obscured my vision.

"Er- the black one."

Her smile wavered for a moment, but then returned full force. "Good choice." She danced over to her stereo, slipping the CD in and turning up the volume. I later realized it was a collection of songs Edward had written for piano while he was gone. He'd told me about sitting in some attic, letting melodies and harmonies dance in his head. The songs were more beautiful than any I'd ever heard.

Alice raised the brush, her hand smoothing over my hair as she murmured comments about certain songs.

It was all so calming. The repetitive motion of the brush, Edward's piano swirling around the room, Alice's soft voice whispering to herself... I would have fallen asleep if I could. Instead, I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply. Any worries over telling Charlie I would be marrying Edward were gone. I was busy picturing him accepting the idea, embracing us both with open arms.

And then it happened.

My breath hitched as my mind began to swirl. Alice's brush strokes stopped, and I could hear her saying my name, putting a hand on my shoulder. My eyes snapped open; the world was swimming in front of me.

_No. _I told myself. _I won't let this happen._ The "visions" had not subsided when we returned from Italy a month ago, but had hit me full force. They were usually only flashes and broken images. A piece of a singing voice, the rustle of fabric, a laughing mouth. Nothing very clear or exact.  
"Bella!" It was Edward's voice that had called my name. I could see his blurred image in the mirror. "Bella, are you alright?"

"It's happening again." Alice squeaked, knowing the dazed expression that, no doubt, was resting on my features.

My hands felt like they weighed a thousand pounds each as I reached out, searching for something. They found Edward's hands, and I squeezed them tightly, holding on as if they were my anchor into the conscious world. I didn't want to go back. I didn't want to have to face the girl who looked just like me.

My breath was coming in shallow gasps as I fought the dizziness, fought to keep my heavy eyelids from falling. I tried to stand, to become uncomfortable so I wouldn't succumb, but I stumbled, falling into Edward's arms. He held me tightly to him, and his scent, for a moment, cleared my mind, but then with a wave of weakness, the world continued to spin.

_Don't you look beautiful tonight?_ A voice crooned. Pieces of conversation were swirling around my head, some voices recognizable, some completely foreign. A glimpse of an unfamiliar face flashed into view before I snapped my eyes open, not realizing I had closed them.

And then one voice silenced the rest, one I knew too well. The deep voice I'd heard in Volterra. _"She's stronger than we give her credit for." _

"What?" I whispered, my voice slurred. The spinning had stopped, but I still felt dizzy.

"I think it's passing." Alice's soft murmuring.

I tightened my grip on Edward's hands, breathing deeply. They were speaking to each other, the two voices. It was a strange contrast. The smoothness of one completely negated the rumbling of the deep counterpart. I couldn't figure out what they were arguing over.

But, then Smooth suddenly shouted, _"She _will_ be mine!" _And everything stood still.

I could breathe normally again, and the dizziness was nothing but a memory. Blinking in confusion, I looked up into Edward's worried orbs. They were terrified, tearing into me.

"Bella?" Alice whispered after a few moments. "Are you okay?"

I looked at her, noticing her hands gripped tightly around the brush. "Gosh, don't break it, Alice." I mumbled.

Both she and Edward laughed, relieved. A look I didn't understand passed between them. But our peace didn't last for long. Alice's face was suddenly wiped clean, her expression blank. Her lips parted and she began to murmur a few low, random phrases. And then she shook her head, snapping back to attention.

Edward's eyebrows rose, and I wondered what she had just seen. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed it to his ear, shifting me in his arms. After a couple rings, I heard Carlisle's voice on the other end. "Carlisle, Alice has seen something. One of_us_ coming to the charity ball tonight."

Oh, so that was it.

"Good or bad?" he said, his tone serious.

Alice took the phone. "I can't see anything dangerous about him. He's got a lot of possibilities he's flickering through, so I can't be sure. I don't see him trying anything at the ball, though. He seems to be on his best behavior."

"If so, then just keep an eye on him." Carlisle said. "If he tries anything, have the boys take care of it."

"I will." Alice promised, and then closed the phone. She disappeared- to go tell the rest of the family, I supposed, and I hid my face in the crook of Edward's neck.

"Don't scare me like that!" he whispered, pressing his lips to my hair. "You didn't see anything, did you?"

"Not really." I decided to leave the voices out. For all I knew, they could be figments of my imagination. "I think I'm getting the hang of this energy stuff."

The corners of his lips twitched. "Guess what?" He paused as I rolled my eyes. "Charlie'll be up soon."

I paled, if possible. Ice froze in the pit of my stomach as I reached up to finger my engagement ring. Edward hadn't insisted I wear it on my finger, but he did request that I keep it on me at all times. So I had Alice get me a silver chain to keep around my neck, and there the ring now hung.

"That was fast." I murmured, making him laugh.

"Come now, sweetheart, get 'dressed'." He rolled his eyes at the word, standing up and setting me on my feet. "I still think it'd be better to just _tell_ him. I don't see why we have to do this _now_."

Shaking my head, I sighed. "Alice, where'd you put those things I asked you to get?"

"They should be in a bag by my closet." she said from downstairs.

I looked around her room, spotting a large white bag by her closet doors. "The one with the big B on it?" I moved towards it as she confirmed it, picking it up and dumping the contents onto the bed.

My eyes widened. "Alice! Those shorts are _way_ too tiny!"

I heard four voices burst into laughter from downstairs. Edward merely smirked. "Don't worry about it." He said, picking out his pair of pajama bottoms from the small pile. "It'll just be me and Charlie." Dressing quickly, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I'll be in the living room."

Another peel of laughter came floating from two floors below. My "siblings" began to tease him about his attire, and I shook my head. I couldn't believe it. In less than an hour, there'd be no going back. I'd be engaged to Edward. Officially, that is.

I dressed at almost a human pace, tugging the tiny shorts on with disgust. Luckily, the shirt Alice had chosen for me to wear was one of Edward's, so it wasn't as skimpy. However, it might send Charlie a different message...

"I'm ready." I whispered to myself, looking myself over in the mirror. As much as I hated to admit it to myself, it was the most comfortable thing I'd worn in a while. "As ready as I'll ever be." Grabbing an elastic off of the vanity, I made an attempt to pull my hair up, to make it look as if I'd just thrown it up and left.

Before I ducked out of the room, something caught my eye. Hanging in Alice's closet was a large dress bag, and I could see a piece of white fabric peeking out. Temptation shuddered through me, and I bit my lip. But Alice would know if I looked, so I shook my head and kept walking. I'd see my dress soon enough.

Every vampire in the living room burst into hysterics when they saw me. I glared, crossing my arms over my chest. "You _will_ suffer, Alice. I don't have time to torture you right now, but just you wait..." That just made her laugh even harder.

Edward wrapped his arm around my waist, leading me out the door and towards the Volvo. "Don't worry about it, Bella." he said, opening my door before sitting in his own seat. "They're just being idiots."

I snorted as he started the car and pulled out of the garage. "At _my_ expense."

He grinned. "They can't help themselves. It's not very often they get to see so much of your legs."

I hit him playfully. Edward was only trying to help me feel better, but the nervousness was chewing away at my stomach. "You're sure he's got everything, right?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"Alice saw him grocery shopping yesterday." His smile grew wider. "Apparently, Charlie's been tuning into the food channel. _Somebody_ got sick of having pizza every night."

I laughed. The thought of Charlie grocery shopping seemed ridiculous. But my moment of untainted happiness was over as soon as Edward pulled into Charlie's driveway. I got out and looked up at the old house. Nothing had changed about it, but there was an air about it, one that frightened me and made my stomach churn with fear. "This was a bad idea." I murmured.

Edward rolled his eyes, taking my hand and pulling me to the door. He quickly found the spare key and opened the door, stepping back so I could move inside. "It'll be fine, love. This was _your_ idea, remember?"

I nodded, looking around my old living room. So many memories danced around my head, making it hard to remember why we had come in the first place. "Let's get started before he wakes up." I said softly, gliding into the kitchen. Afraid to breathe the wrong way, I opened the cabinet and pulled down the pots and pans I would need.

"Silly Bella." Edward kissed my forehead. "It'll be okay. Charlie loves you."

I snorted softly, stepping over to the refrigerator and gathering the food. "It's not _me_ I'm worried about him loving."

We talked quietly as he and I prepared Charlie's breakfast. He'd be up soon, and we didn't have any time to waste. Even with our inhuman speed, pancakes were something you just couldn't rush. If I hadn't been so terrified of what I was going to tell my father, it would have been enjoyable- fun, even. But unfortunately, I was trembling with fear.

About twenty minutes later, the table was piled with food- bacon, eggs, biscuits, pancakes... Everything Charlie loved. I sat on the counter, leaning over and pressing my forehead to my legs. Edward stroked my hair as I struggled to breathe normally, to keep my hands from shaking.

"It'll turn out alright, Bella. You're doing the right thing."

I almost burst into hysterics. "Oh, the irony." I shook my head as I tried to stand, and he doodled random patterns against my shoulder. "He's going to yell at me because I'm doing something for _him_."

I heard Charlie before I saw him.

"Who's in there?" He demanded from his room. I must have jumped a mile high.

"It's just us, Charlie." Edward called, putting a hand on the small of my back to calm me. He grinned- no doubt at the wave of murderous thoughts that came from my father.

"Bella?" Charlie said warily. I could hear the sound of him scrambling to get dressed.

"Yeah, Dad?" My voice sounded as if I was being strangled.

I heard his footsteps as he loped into view. "What are you doing here?"

I tried to swallow my fear and smile, though it probably looked more like I was wincing. "Cooking you breakfast." His eyes were on my outfit. Maybe wearing one of Edward's shirts wasn't the best of ideas. "It's been forever since I've seen you, and I woke up early. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I figured I'd drag Edward over so we could all talk." My fiancé had wrapped his arm around my waist as I spoke.

Charlie's eyes finally moved from me to the food on the table. "Are those pancakes?" His question made me want to scream with relief.

Edward laughed. "Sure are, Charlie. Do you want a couple?"

The violent air left him as he laughed as well."I'd love some."

We all sat at the table, but Edward and I only watched as he piled food on his plate. He opened up, talking more than I'd ever heard from him. But he never looked at my face for more than a moment. He'd noticed the eerily subtle difference too.

The thirst was barely there, I noticed. I could hear Charlie's blood rushing at an even pace, but it didn't appeal to me- either because of the fact that he was my father and I loved him, or maybe the willingness to be changed affected my cravings. That would explain why it seemed easier and easier every time I was around humans.

"Aren't you going to eat?" My father asked through a mouthful of bacon.

I froze, realizing I'd forgotten to think of that excuse. Luckily, Edward smiled politely and stepped in. "We woke up while Carlisle was getting ready, so we had a chance to eat breakfast with him before he left for work."

"Oh."

If my father hadn't been sitting right there, I would have thrown myself at Edward.

Charlie continued to talk about everything that had happened since I'd moved out. As he did, I was almost wearing a hole into the hem of Edward's shirt. Just when the threads began to get fragile, he covered my hand with his. My gaze flashed up to him. His honey-colored orbs were sympathetic.

"Do you want _me_ to tell him?" Edward murmured too low for my father to hear, squeezing my hand.

I shook my head, looking back at Charlie. He was in the middle of a story about a deputy at work, looking down at his pancakes as he spoke.

I exhaled shakily as I wondered how I'd approach the subject. _"Well, Dad, what do you think about Edward and I getting married?" _Or would I use the sweet approach? _"Daddy, Edward and I love each other very much, and even though you probably don't approve, we're engaged." _Um, no. I grit my teeth, ready to just shout, "Dammit, Charlie! Edward and I are getting married! Deal with it!"

"And the entire time, he's sitting there with this long black smear across his face." Charlie continue, trying to fight off laughter. "I was _this_ close to telling him, but-"

"We're getting married!" I blurted, digging my nails into my palms.

Charlie stopped mid-sentence, his fork full of sausage halfway to his mouth. It would have been comical if I hadn't been expecting him to spontaneously combust. He let his fork fall back to the plate and looked away, his lips pressed into one thin line. For a long time, he stayed silent, glaring at something in the distance. Finally, when he spoke, he said, "How long is the engagement going to be?"

"Probably very short, sir." Edward said, looking at my father with a look I couldn't place. "We were hoping to have the ceremony before we left for college at the end of summer."

Charlie sighed deeply, covering his eyes with his hand. "Bella, answer me honestly." He didn't move his hand as he continued. "Are you pregnant?"

I had to resist laughing hysterically. "No, Dad. I'm not pregnant- not even a chance." Edward and I traded a look that only we could understand.

"Good." His hand still didn't move from his eyes, and I wondered how badly he was trying not to just jump across the table and strangle Edward. But he suddenly looked up, glowering at me. "I won't allow it."

I had expected him to scream. I had expected him to threaten Edward. I had even expected him to break something. But I never thought he'd have the audacity to say I couldn't do it.

I opened my mouth to give a sarcastic retort, but Edward beat me to the silence. "With all due respect, Chief Swan, that's not your choice to make." My hand absently toyed with the engagement ring around my neck as he continued. "Now, I understand that you're only concerned about Bella and her future, but I love her, and I won't let you hurt her by telling her what she can and cannot do."

Charlie's face turned red. "_You're_ telling me that _I'm_ hurting her?!" I saw Edward wince as my father shuffled through the vast amount of evidence he had. "You left her here! Broke her heart!" he fumed. "You ruined her in the worst possible way!"

I looked on helplessly as Edward defended himself. "Charlie, I know how badly I've hurt her. And I'm not saying I'm worth her pain. I'm not saying I deserve her, and I'm not saying I don't deserve anything you say to me." His eyes flashed up in a glare I'd never seen directed towards Charlie. "But Bella has taken me back with open arms. She's allowed me back in her life, and I've never seen her happier. She wants to be with me. And if that is what she wants, I'm going to give it to her. No matter what you or anybody else says."

"She's only eighteen!" Charlie continued, not letting it die. "She has no clue what she wants."

I was ready to lash out, but Edward had taken it upon himself. I could tell he had declared it _his_ battle. "It wasn't him against me," My fiancé told me later. "It was his insults against my love for you."

Or maybe it was just testosterone.

"Did you know what you wanted when you were eighteen, Charlie?" Edward hissed, his fists balled at his sides. "Did you know who _you _wanted to spend the rest of your life?"

Charlie glared. "That was a mistake."

Edward took a deep breath, closing his eyes to calm himself. When he continued, his voice was soft and low. "It was a choice you were willing to make, and it's the same choice we're taking. If it's a mistake, it's a mistake. We'll get up and move on with our lives. But Bella loves me, and I love her. If I had any doubt about this in my heart, I wouldn't have ever even asked her." Charlie began to say something, but Edward didn't even falter. "But I've given her everything I have- my heart, my property, my future... It's all hers."

Edward breathed deeply again. "If she wants to leave, I'll gladly let her go- she can be like Renee and move on, be happy. But I've seen what it's like not having her by my side, and it's a worse torture than anything I can imagine. If this relationship turns out to be anything like yours, I will be _you_, alone and unable to move on."

He had stood up, and he leaned over on the table. "We're getting married, whether we have your blessing or not. Bella hasn't said a word yet, and I won't let her. She hates fighting with you. She couldn't relax all night, afraid that you'd get upset. And look," Edward's intense gaze turned to me, immediately softening. "You're proving her worst fears right."

Charlie had stood from his seat as well. He stuck out one finger to point towards the door. "Get out of my house, Edward Cullen."

"That's _enough_!"

Two pairs of surprised eyes turned to meet my furious gaze.

"This is my choice." I said slowly, holding my hands in front of me. "I want to marry Edward, and you're going to have to deal with that, Charlie. But you have a choice. You can either get over your personal grudges and walk me down the aisle at my wedding," I paused, letting my quiet words sink in. "Or, if you really want to cause me pain, you can refuse to come. But you should know this: If you hate the idea of attending the ceremony so badly that you feel the need to break my heart, I'm never speaking to you again. I'll disappear, and you'll never find me."

Edward pulled me in his arms, knowing that without his touch, I'd break down. "Your decision, Charlie. Because we've already made ours."

My father glared at us for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out an old cell phone. His attention turned to dialing as Edward whispered encouragement in my ear. Then, Charlie held the phone to his ear and waited for someone to pick up.

Of course, the person he called just had to be my mother.

"Renee?" Charlie said, his voice low and wavering. "Your daughter has some news she'd like to share with you." He held the phone out to me.

I glowered at him, taking the cell phone and putting it to my ear. "Mom?" She bombarded me with confused questions. "I know, I know. Calm down; I'm alright." Pausing as my mother continued to breathe deeply, I stepped back and pushed my chair in, making it clear to Charlie that Edward and I would be leaving. "No, mom, Dad's just overreacting. There_ are_ a few things I'd like to talk to you about, but now isn't really the best time. I love you. Bye."

I pressed the "end" button and gently tossed the phone onto the table. All three of us stared at each other for what seemed like ages before I spoke. "That was really immature, Dad." He watched me, jaw dropped, as I broke away from Edward and moved to the message pad by the kitchen phone. "This," I began, scribbling on the notepad. "Is Edward's cell phone number. You can call if you want to apologize, or if you have something more open-minded to say, but if this is your final decision, don't even bother."

I stormed out to the car, Edward close behind me. I didn't even wait for him to open my door, just yanked it open and fell into the seat. The anger inside of me was building, feeding off itself. I was still shouting when we were almost to the house.

Then there was a familiar spark just below my heart.

"Edward, stop the car," I demanded. The brakes protested loudly as he slammed his foot down, and I flew out of my seat. But I didn't make it out in time. Like a flash of lightning, an unseen force exploded from me. It sent an invisible, but tangible wave of energy in every direction, shattering the passenger's window and snapping the trunks of a few nearby trees.

I fell to my knees, suddenly and inexplicably exhausted. Just like that, the fury was gone, and the only thing I felt was pain. "Charlie hates me." I whispered to myself as I stood, walking back to the car numbly. Pulling my knees to myself, I leaned against my fiancé as he stroked my hair. "I would hate me too."

XD

You're going to _love_ it!" Alice squealed for the millionth time, twisting a piece of my hair around a large curler. "I saw it on the website and the minute I did, I could see you in it."

I just stared into the vanity's mirror as she gushed, looking into my reflection's solemn gaze. I still wasn't over mine and Edward's argument with Charlie, and Edward's phone had yet to ring.

"I thought about getting it for Rosalie when I actually got to the store, figuring you might want to pick out your own dress for this thing. But then I said, 'Nope. It'll only look as good on Bella.'" Alice continued, wrapping more of my hair into curlers.

Edward's tiny cell phone was sitting in front of me on the mantle. As soon as I had the thought to call my mother, Alice reached forward and handed me the phone. "You'll have to put it on speaker," she said, squeezing some sort of product into her hands. "I don't want to invade your privacy, but I can't do your hair if you have a phone in my way."

I nodded, dialing Phil's cell. My mother didn't carry her phone often; she always forgot it at home. It rang twice before I heard my step-father's voice. "Hello?"

"Hey, Phil," I said, trying to sound chipper. "Is my mom around?"

"Oh, sure, Bell!" There were a few rustling sounds before my mother chirped in the background.

"Is that Bella?" There was another crackling sound of the phone being passed before I heard her. "Hi, sweetheart!"

"Hi, mom." I put the phone on speaker, sitting it on the vanity desk. "How are you doing?"

"Fine." I knew the next sentence before it came; my mother wasn't one to dance around a subject. "Are you calling to explain about earlier?" She knew something was up. I could feel her suspicious look over the phone.

"Yeah, actually, I've got some news for you." I took a deep breath, trying to calm the building hysterics as Alice played with my hair.

"Bella, you're not..." She paused uncertainly. "In any trouble? With Edward?"

I scoffed. "Mom! Please tell me you're not asking if I'm pregnant!" I couldn't believe it! Charlie, sure- it hadn't surprised me much, but my mother had only met Edward once! How could she think something like that after brainwashing me all my life?

Alice nearly exploded with laughter.

"I'm sorry, Bella-honey." She said my name and then my pet-name as if they were one, pleading with me. "I just knew that you two were serious, and I..." Renee trailed off, no doubt losing her train of thought.

"Well, I'm not pregnant, but..." I took another deep breath. "Edward and I are engaged."

"Wh-what?" She was silent, as if I'd just told her somebody died. "_Engaged_?" The word was said with such disgust that my body immediately prepared to go into "upset mode."

"Yes, mom, engaged. We've been talking about it for a long time now, and I really do want to be with him for the rest of my life." Rest of my life... Eternity... What was the difference, really?

"But you're both so young!" she begged faintly.

"Mom, please," I begged. "Charlie's already shared that concern with us, more concerns than we wanted to hear, really." I paused, watching as Alice reached forward to put more product in the hair that hadn't been rolled up. Her lips were pressed into a tight line, and I was grateful that she was trying to stay out of it. "I _really _can't handle you getting upset too."

"I'm not _upset_," she countered. "Just worried. Weren't you the one who said it was just a crush?"

Hesitating first, I said, "I lied."

Renee was quiet for a long time, probably explaining to Phil why it looked like she was about to cry. When she spoke again, she was straining to sound happy. "Well, have you picked a date?"

"No," I said tentatively. "But we'd like for the ceremony to be before we leave for college in September."

Behind me, Alice grinned with excitement. She made a vague gesture with her hands and pointed to the clock, telling me to wrap it up.

I nodded. "Okay, mom, were about ready to leave. I just wanted to call and tell you so you wouldn't be in the dark about everything." I reached over, picking up the phone.

"Oh. Alright, then. Call me when you've figured out the details." She sounded sad again.

"I will. I love you. Bye." I pressed the "end" button on the phone before Alice pulled me out of the chair. "That went well," I sighed, putting my hands on my hips.

"Much better than Charlie." Alice agreed, taking my hand and leading me toward the closet. "Are you ready to see the dress?" She grinned, her face aglow with excitement.

I looked at her with a faint smile. She was already dressed in her formal gown. It was like a prom dress, a dark blue. Beaded stars began at the hem and continued up to her waist, where they just expanded into a gold bodice. Her mask, which was sitting on the bed, was made of silk the same shade as the stars.

"Sure. Why not?" She squealed and pushed me back towards the bed, reaching into her closet and pulling the dress bag I'd seen earlier. "Just promise me it's not going to make me look hideous."

"Hah!" I heard Edward exclaim from downstairs, where Esme was making last-minute adjustments to the guys' tuxes. "A garbage bag couldn't make you look hideous."

"Eavesdropper!" I accused, rolling my eyes. "Just show me the dress, Alice."

My soon-to-be-sister-in-law grinned, unzipping the bag and pulling out the single most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It looked almost like a wedding gown, but the skirt had been intentionally ripped and dyed and re-sewn to make the fabric seem like liquid. The bodice was covered with beading at the waist to look like diamonds. The tattered skirt managed to look like it had been professionally done, and it faded from white to pink to red.

"It's gorgeous," I whispered, reaching my hand out to touch the soft toole.

Alice's smile widened, if possible. "Perfect, isn't it?" She laid it on the bed and moved towards the door. "Hurry up and get dressed- Rose is going to do your make-up." Closing the door behind her, Alice slipped out into the hallway.

The dress was softer than anything I'd ever felt as I stepped into it. It hugged my curves gently, exposing the right amount of my deathly pale skin. And I didn't look half bad.

There was a soft knock at the door and I heard Rosalie's faint voice. "Bella? Are you dressed?"

"Mmm-hmm."

The door opened and the blond goddess gracefully stepped inside. "This'll only take a second." she murmured. I watched her face as she decorated me with mascara and just a bit of pink lipstick. She had refused to wear a mask, but had her lips and eyes painted black, and she wore a pair of black cat ears perched atop her head. Her mermaid-style dress was the same uniform color. It was stunning.

"Bella," she began once she was done, putting the cosmetics on Alice's vanity desk. "I want to apologize."

I sat down on the bed, patting the space beside me. With a smile, she sat down. "I can be very rude," she began. "Especially when I'm jealous of someone." My eyebrows shot up, but Rosalie put an elegant hand up to stop any replies. Her nails had been painted too, I noticed. "I know I haven't been the best friend or the sister you deserve, but..." She paused to raise a hesitant hand, as if she wanted to push a piece of loosened hair behind my ear, but pulled it back at the last moment. "It's been hard for me. You had everything- family, friends," Her smile was solemn, sad. "A man who loved you for you... It drove me absolutely crazy that you had all that, but you wanted to give it all away."

"Is that why you're so mean to me?" I whispered. "Because of what I gave up?"

The corners of her perfect lips twitched upwards. "That's a big part of it."

She didn't continue, so I said, "And..." trying to urge her forward.

Rosalie shook her head. "Once again- petty jealousy- nothing for you to worry about." She suddenly looked furious. "Don't you understand, Bella? I was _jealous_. I was jealous of everything you had and you gave it away as if it was nothing!"

"Now, that's not fair, Rosalie," I said lowly. "Just because it wasn't a hard decision to make, that doesn't mean that it didn't hurt me to let go of what I lost." I made a vague motion toward the window and into the dark forest. "My best friend- the one who kept me from losing myself when you were all gone..." There was that tugging at my chest again. "I had to hurt him, Rosalie. Not just him, but all of the wolves. And Charlie- he's livid with me."

For the second time ever, I saw her achingly beautiful face contort with shame and regret.

"I understand where you're coming from, Rose- I really do. But it was my choice, and I know what I've lost and what I've gained." I covered her hand with mine, looking into her eyes. "I lost my mother, my father, and my friends. I lost the chance to live a normal life or create a family of my own. I lost a hunger for normal food, and I have to hunt to survive."

"Then why-"

"Those are things I can live without." I interrupted firmly, cutting off her predictable question. "The things I've gained now: Edward..." My face lit into a smile I knew she could understand. "And you. You, and Alice, and Esme, and Carlisle, and Jasper, and Emmett. You_are _my friends and you _are_my family." She looked into my eyes with a meaningful gaze, and I pushed a piece of her hair out of her face, doing what she would not. "_You _are the family and _you_are the friends I cannot live without."

Rosalie held a hand to her mouth, as if she was about to cry. "Thank you," she breathed. "For everything."

I beamed at her. "It's no problem at all."

She stood up, reaching up to release my hair from its bonds. "Come on," she said with a smile, tossing the curlers to the bed and fixing my hair to her satisfaction. "We're going to be late."

I nodded, grabbing the mask- a white lace half-mask- off of the bed and taking her hand. "You look gorgeous, by the way," I murmured, tying the mask's satin ribbons to my wrist.

She tossed her blond hair over her shoulder. "So do you, Bella. Even better."

Rosalie stepped back so I could walk out of the room and down the stairs. She followed, snickering when the rest of the family's eyes snapped to our faces. "Don't worry; we haven't killed each other." she sang as she glided behind me.

Just like that, everything smoothed into motion- my eyes locked on Edward (dazzling in a black tuxedo with a dark pink tie to match my dress) as he made his way towards me and put an arm around my waist; Rosalie strode over to Emmett, fixing his white bow-tie and snorting as he tried to explain that it was at the top of fashion heights; and Esme began calling off driving arrangements.

"Emmett and Rosalie, you'll be riding with Carlisle and I in the Vanquish."

Edward's expression dropped as Emmett squealed with an eerie girlishness. "My Vanquish? Why?"

Esme smile turned to me. "Because Bella will be driving the Mercedes."

A large "_EH_?" rose from the living room, myself included. Carlisle laughed, flashing his white teeth. "Be nice, children. This is her first real experience socializing in public- she should have the privilege of driving." He smoothed an affectionate hand over my slightly-curled hair and I beamed.

"Still want to take the Vanquish, Edward?" Jasper smirked from the couch, twirling a finger in Alice's hair, who swatted him away playfully.

My fiancé frowned at his brother. "No offense to Bella, but no. Definitely not."

"Hey!" I exclaimed as Esme shooed everyone outside and toward the garage. "I'm not a bad driver!"

Edward gave me a whithering look as he slid into the passenger's seat of the Mercedes. "Sweetheart, when was the last time you drove? May? Early June?"

I shrugged. "Maybe." Carlisle fished the keys from his pocket and handed them to me, and I happily opened the door and sat in my seat. "But that shouldn't affect my driving skills much. It's only about a month."

Alice and Jasper both groaned as they slid into the back seat.

I backed out of the driveway and let Carlisle lead the way, unsure of the exact location of this hotel. All I knew was that it was in Port Angeles. He started out moving slow- er- as slow as I used to demand Edward go, but then sped up once I got used to the feel of driving again. I didn't even notice that we were going eighty miles per hour until Edward interrupted me mid-sentence to smirk and point at the speedometer. I had to admit- thirty miles an hour was feeling really slow.

"So, are you excited, Bella?" Alice asked me as Carlisle pulled into an unfamiliar parking lot. I followed, parking a few spaces down.

"I guess," I responded casually, gathering my dress about me as I opened the car door and stood. "More nervous, really. I have to sing in front of everyone, don't I?"

Edward grinned, taking his place at my side. His hands were a blur as he untied my mask from my wrist and fixed it to cover the top half of my face. Alice was right behind him with bobby pins to hold it in."Yes, and it will be a miracle if I can do your voice justice."

I rolled my eyes, catching up to Carlisle and Esme and letting them lead the way to where we were supposed to go.

The Michael Lawrence Hotel was decked out better than anything I had ever seen. I'd never really been to a formal event other than the school proms held in the gym, and my breath was taken away while the rest of the Cullens merely smiled politely. Yards and yards of glittering white fabric was hung from the ceiling and windows, creating an ethereal effect. Tablecloths and chair-covers were made of the same fabric, decorating a collection of tables a distance away from the dance floor. Centerpieces for those tables were mirrors bent into strange shapes, and smoothed glass pieces scattered like confetti. It was gorgeous.

"Wow..." I breathed as Edward took my hand. "It's so beautiful..."

He nodded as Emmett and Rosalie immediately made their way towards the dance floor. "Mmm-hmm. They really go all out for these things." Carlisle sauntered off, Esme on his arm as he started to chat up other guests.

A classical song started from a set of speakers set up in every corner of the room and Alice grinned, leaning over Jasper to look at us. "Are you guys going to dance?"

Edward looked down at me, repressed hope in his eyes. "Do you want to?"

Smiling, I nodded. "I'd love to."

He gently led me out onto the dance floor, Alice and Jasper close behind us. A woman brushed past me, and I stopped for a second to regain my composure, but sighed when the temptation passed and continued towards Rosalie and Emmett. Edward put his hands on my waist and I did the same, gingerly touching his shoulders. He smiled warmly at me as we started to dance, leaning down to breathe in the scent of my hair.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked me after a few moments, brushing his thumb across my cheek.

"I was actually wondering if Charlie would change his mind," I replied softly, not wanting to meet his golden gaze. "I was really hoping he wouldn't take it as bad as he did."

He chuckled without humor. "Well, you can't really expect him to approve of me. I not only pushed you to Phoenix, where you ended up in the hospital for a week, but I..." His expression turned pained, and I frowned at the memories. "I left you. Alone..." After a moment of looking at me with a tortured expression, he gave me a faint smile. "But like I said: I can't blame him for thinking you deserve better."

"Nothing's better than you," I countered, letting him twirl me as we danced.

Edward smiled, shaking his head. "I'm glad you think so, even if I tell you time and time again that you'd be better off with someone else." Before I could open my mouth to protest, he said, "Although, there's really no point in worrying about that anymore."

The song changed, and there was a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Emmett standing with a grin on his face. "Hey, Edward- mind if I get a dance with my newest sister?"

He nodded to his brother, releasing me and taking the abandoned Rosalie's hand. She smiled and immediately dove into conversation and they waltzed off.

"Having a good time?" I asked as he put his hands on my waist, looping my own arms around his neck- they barely fit, he was so tall. Emmett was just like a big old grizzly-wrestling, sex-addict teddy bear.

"Yeah, I guess. Rose is more into this kind of stuff than I am." He said sheepishly.

"I can imagine. Edward and Jasper probably aren't fully enjoying themselves either." I smiled up at him- the distance between his face and mine was staggering.

Emmett shrugged. "Edward is always happiest with you, no matter where you guys are." The tempo of the song changed minutely and it was slightly slower, so I didn't have to concentrate on my feet so much. His face suddenly turned serious. "I want to thank you. For what you said to Rose."

I shook my head. "Don't thank me. It's the truth- she just needed to hear it."

"I'm serious." Emmett said, looking over my shoulder, where I'm sure Edward and Rosalie were dancing. "I'm not sure if you can tell or not, but she's really different now. It might not be obvious to you, but to me, she's a whole new person."

"Really?" That one moment in Alice's room, when she thanked me and told me I looked beautiful, I had seen something in her, but I didn't see that side of her now, harmless as she may be.

"Totally." He laughed once, shortly. "I do have to apologize- I eavesdropped, even though everyone told me not to." He gave me a knowing look. "I wanted to, you know, make sure you two didn't end up in a cat fight." Something flickered in his eyes, telling me that he was repressing a comment that would get him in trouble with either Rosalie or Edward.

"I'm sure," I said sarcastically, making him rumble with deep laughter.

"Just don't tell Esme, okay?" Emmett said, winking at me.

"I won't," I promised. "But I still don't understand what you mean by Rosalie being different. She seems the same- if not less hostile- to me."

He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "You know about the jealousy thing, right?" After pausing for my nod, he continued. "Well, besides that, I think that Rose has some pretty low self-esteem. She likes to hear she's smart and funny- not just pretty, like some people think- because I think she needs reassurance. And when you said that you gave everything up to be with us, including her, she felt like she meant something to somebody. More than just looks."

I nodded up at him. "I get what you mean. That makes sense."

His eyes brightened. "Exibit A." He adjusted our dancing position so I could see behind me. Edward was saying something to Rosalie, and her head was thrown back in laughter. "They couldn't even have a civil conversation until the whole Volterra incident. So, even after that, they pretty much just ignored each other. It was easier for him not to get mad at her and for her not to feel guilty and awkward around him."

I could believe that.

"But now look." Emmett continued as Edward broke into a brilliant smile at something Rosalie had said. "They're not just getting along, they're _happy_. They're having fun and laughing together."

"Yeah," I breathed, watching them as Rosalie started to comment on some of the guests around them. "Do you think this will be the beginning of peace in the Cullen/Hale home?"

He rolled his eyes. "Hell, no." At my laughter, he continued. "Seriously. There hasn't been peace in that house for as long as I can remember. It's not always bad, though. Peace can get a little boring."

"Boring?" I asked incredulously. "What's boring about peace?"

His face wrinkled with disgust. "It's _peaceful_. There's no sort of conflict at all!"

"Um, yeah, Emmett. That's what makes it 'peace.'"

"No, that's what makes it dull," He awkwardly spun me- his build did not make for good dancing. "Like a book with no plot. It's just happy all the time, and you wonder why you bought the stupid thing in the first place."

"Hmm." I pondered that as the song came to a close. "I guess so. But if there's never going to be peace, is it just going to be a bunch of arguing all the time?"

"Of course not," He said, shaking his head. "Just because it's not peaceful doesn't mean we're going to be fighting all the time. We can keep things interesting without trying to kill each other." Grinning, Emmett nodded towards Esme. "Like this one time a few years ago- Jasper and me bought these couches at a garage sale and switched them with Esme's designer furniture. She was so mad, but we knew she still loved us, especially when we moved her stuff back in and got rid of those old couches."

When I was unable to reply, he continued. "Just because our house isn't peaceful doesn't mean it's a bad place to be. We're always going to be messing around with each other because we know that we all care about each other. Now, Rosalie was still undecided about you, but now that she finally accepts you as a part of our family, we can go on with our 'peaceful' life. I'll still play pranks on Carlisle and Esme, Alice will still force Jasper to let her do his hair-"

"And everyone will still make fun of Edward being sexually repressed," I finished with a smile, shaking my head and stepping back as the last notes of the song drifted through the room.

Emmett roared with laughter. "Hopefully that will be fixed by the end of the Summer."

"Hopefully," I muttered, making him laugh again.

"Ha ha ha," Edward's breath on the back of my neck made me shiver, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Very funny."

"Aw, hey, Eddie!" Emmett beamed at his brother, resting his arm across Rosalie's shoulder. "We were just talking about you!"

"We heard," Rosalie laughed, leaning into her husband. "You know it's not good to talk about people behind their backs," she scolded.

"Not if it's something I'd say to their face anyways," he countered, and Edward nodded.

"True. You've never been shy about hiding what you have to say." He chatted with us for a moment before he suddenly straightened and looked across the room. When I looked in the direction he was staring, I saw Carlisle talking to a man whose back was facing us.

"Children," Carlisle said from across the room, but we heard him anyways. "Come meet our new friend."

Emmett and Rosalie immediately moved towards them, but Edward hesitated a moment, a solemn look on his face. I tugged on his hand, asking him what was wrong with my eyes and he frowned. "He's distracting himself. Trying to figure out the square root of one million and forty-seven."

"What's so bad about that?" I whispered, looking up at his troubled face.

"That means A: he knows about my ability somehow. And B: there's something he doesn't want me to know, something that he's hiding from us." Edward said darkly, glaring at the stranger's back.

"Well," I murmured as he reluctantly led me towards the rest of the family. "That definitely changes things."

"Ah, here they are." Esme said cheerily as we approached. She reached out, pulling me to her side. "This is Edward," she said, motioning to the vampire in question. "And his fiancée Bella."

I smiled politely at the guest. He had cropped, black hair, and his eyes were a dull ruby color. I shivered. Smiling at me with thin, but exquisite lips, he nodded towards me. "Bouna sera," he said, tilting his head slightly as he spoke. "Good evening." An Italian accent rolled off of his tongue as he spoke, and I couldn't help but feel I'd heard his alluring tenor voice somewhere before.

"Good evening," Edward replied detachedly, stealing me away from his mother figure. "We're glad you could come tonight."

Esme gave him a scolding look, but shook her head and smiled cordially again. "Children, this is Dominik. He's on a trip across America, visiting every capital."

"That sounds like fun," Alice chirped, seemingly a bit wary as well. "What city has been your favorite so far?"

He smiled at her, but it didn't really reach his eyes. "Unfortunately, some of the sunnier cities had my favorite events. I wasn't able to stay for long, though, as I'm sure you can imagine." His gaze moved back to me. "Have you ever been to Tallahassee, Bella? Phoenix?"

Against the small of my back, Edward's hand turned into a tight fist.

"Yes, actually. I used to live in Phoenix," I said, leaning my head against my fiancé's shoulder for reassurance.

"Oh, really?" His mouth twisted into a smile, and I got the impression that he didn't believe me for some reason. "It's a beautiful place. I wish I had gotten to see more of it." He finally broke my gaze to look up and answer a question of Carlisle's. While Dominik was distracted, Edward leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, some animal instinct to claim me, I suppose.

"So, how long are you going to be here before you move on?" Esme asked, linking arms with her husband.

"Not long," the Italian responded quietly. "Maybe just a couple more days before I leave for Helena."

"Then I will have to ask you," Carlisle began, a warning tone slipping into his voice. "That you hunt somewhere preferably far away. We live nearby and need to stay inconspicuous, if you understand what I'm saying."

"I promise," he said, suddenly laughing. "This is so strange, talking to you while you're wearing masks. I feel as if I'm a part of some secret organization."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Esme apologized. "Children, take off your masks so he can see you." She frowned at Rosalie, who only smiled proudly back at her.

Edward frowned deeper, but reached down and untied the silk ribbons that held the lace mask to my face.

"Ah," Dominik sighed, smiling at me. "That's much better."

Carlisle and Esme provided for sufficient distractions, but I couldn't help but notice that his gaze kept moving towards me. Edward obviously didn't miss it either, tightening his hold on me whenever Dominik even looked in my direction. He almost lunged at him when the ruby-eyed vampire asked me to dance.

"Oh, I don't know," I said, holding my hands up apologetically. "I'm not a very good dancer. Edward does all the work for me."

"Don't be rude, Bella," Esme said, shooting a glance at Edward. I'm sure she was telling him through her thoughts not to worry, but it was Edward. How could he not?

So I reluctantly took Dominik's hand, walking out onto the dance floor. He gave me no reason to be afraid, but I couldn't help but shudder when he put his hands on my waist. Despite the fact that our temperatures were probably the same, his touch felt inexplicably cold. I couldn't detect anything anything threatening about him, but his gaze was heavier than it should have been.

"Your coven seems very nice," he commented casually, so low that even my family would have to strain to hear. "Have you been with them long?"

"Not really," I replied politely, quiet, but not as muted as him. "I just met them a couple years ago."

"Hmm." He smiled faintly, spinning me out slowly before pulling me back. "To be honest, I'm not very comfortable around them. Especially your Edward."

"Edward?" I asked, my voice a little louder. "Why?"

"He can read minds, correct?"

I nodded, furrowing my eyebrows. "Yes. How did you know?"

Dominik chuckled, as if there was some joke I was missing out on. "I have somewhat of a little gift of my own." Before I could inquire about it, he moved on. "But anyhow, I feel as if I can't trust him. My thoughts are my own- I don't like other people filing through them."

"If you asked him," I began, hoping for some information I could pass on to help my family understand this stranger. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind blocking you."

"True," he said. "But how would I know if he would do so? Truthfully, he doesn't seem like one to keep his word."

I frowned. All of this bad-talking Edward was angering me. "I assure you he is, sir, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk badly about my fiancé around me." I said, unable to keep a sharp tone out of my voice.

"I apologize," he said, bowing his head. "I didn't mean to upset you. I often get carried away with myself, say too much." Looking down at me, he smiled again. "But as I was saying, I fear that you're the only one I completely trust. Something about you makes you seem... _honest_."

"Thank you," I told him. "But I'm definitely not the most admirable of my family. Both Carlisle and Esme surpass me in many different ways."

"Even so," he sighed, staring at me with affection, which I found extremely awkward and uncomfortable. "I don't know what it is about you that makes you stand out, but it makes it almost impossible for me to let you go."

Okay. When creepy vampire guy says _that_, it's time to go.

"I'm sorry, Dominik, but it's almost ten and Edward and I have a duet to practice for." I pulled away as forcefully as I could without seeming rude and smiled politely. "Thank you for the dance. I hope to see you later tonight." I tried to leave, but his hand grabbed mine, pulling me back to him. I could hear Edward's soft snarl from across the room, and I couldn't see Dominik's face as he leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"I know who you really are."

I was frozen where I stood for a moment, but as soon as I could breathe normally again, I excused myself once more and glided to where my family was standing. Edward was growling under his breath, Esme and Carlisle trying to shush him. I was berated with questions, but I merely shook my head and took Edward's hand. "Come on," I said quietly. "We need to practice before we go on."

"Bella!" Edward hissed as I pulled him away, weaving through the crowd. "What was he saying to you? That bastard was blocking me the entire time!"

"I'll explain later," I assured him. "At home."

He didn't say anything more, but I could still hear his quiet snarling as we made our way out of the ballroom. He was muttering low, unintelligible death threats under his breath, and I had to hit his arm to get him to quiet.

I stumbled as soon as I closed the door of the practice room behind us, leaning on the piano for support. The energy Aro and Caius had warned me about was bubbling in my chest, making me dizzy. I pressed my forehead to the shiny black surface of the piano, taking the air in gasps.

"Bella!" Edward was behind me, one hand on my waist to keep me from falling. He tried to stand me straight, but it made the world spin violently, and I felt as if I'd be sick. I let him pull me away from piano and cradle me in his arms as he sat at the piano bench. "Bella, say something!"

"Don't worry," I gasped. "It'll pass."

I don't know how long I sat there in Edward's arms fighting to stay conscious. At any moment, I expected to hear the voices again, expected for the dizziness to subside. It didn't though. A few seconds turned into a few minutes, and even if it only lasted a few minutes, it felt like hours before I let myself slip away into the world of black.

_Night cloaked the city of Paris, hiding the girl that slid through the shadows. She wore a thin dress, her mahogany hair pulled back with ribbons, and a pair of casual slippers. Her soft sobs echoed through the eerie silence as she darted through the streets, disappearing behind an ancient building._

_She had to get away, to find _him_. He was her only chance of escaping, and she could only hope that he would be gracious enough to take her away._

_Her lungs feeling as if they'd burst into flame, she dashed into the forest, weaving through the confusing pattern of trees. Her legs felt like water beneath her, and there was a horrible, acidic taste in her mouth, but she continued on._

_With one final burst of energy, she threw herself into the clearing, dragging herself to the lake's edge. The night was warm, humid, and her face was sticky with perspiration. It could have been merely minutes that she lay there, or hours. She may have fallen asleep, because the next thing she remembered, she was staring at the glittering lake, no longer tired or exhausted._

_Standing up, she stretched out her stiff muscles and looked around. The man she'd met that night wasn't there yet, and she sighed, looking at the forest's edge. Her ears picked up a faint sound and she padded softly towards the trees._

"_Stop!"_

_There was that noise again. She curiously jogged into the forest, staring ahead into the inky blackness as she tried to find the owner of the voice._

_The sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling caught her attention, making her head snap to the left. The faint outline of a man appeared in the distance, and she ducked behind a tree. The man yelled "Stop!" again, and fell to the ground, crawling frantically in her direction._

_And then another figure appeared in the forest, seemingly out of nowhere. She could hear the deep rumble of a man's voice as the second person spoke. "Don't bother screaming, my lord. No one will hear you."_

_The girl gasped silently, trying to hide herself better behind the tree. Her heart pounding so loud she thought both could hear, she peeked around the tree to see what was happening._

_The second figure was yanking the man on the ground up by the shirt, muttering something low under to him. He leaned down as if he were going to kiss the man, but then the prey cried out in pain, and there was a spattering as something wet fell to the ground._

_And then, in her mind, it all clicked. Vampire._

_The girl clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming, tears of fear pouring from her eyes. She couldn't run. She had no place to go. But as a last resort anyways, her legs were suddenly flying beneath her, taking her out of the forest and back to the lake, in clear moonlight._

"_Katharine!"_

_She stumbled, but did not fall completely. The vampire knew her name. Despite the familiar burning in her lungs, she kept on, only to run into something cold and hard. She fell to the ground, scrambling towards the water's edge. "Get away from me!" she shrieked, trying to find the strength in her legs to pick herself up._

"_Katherine," the vampire said, and his voice made her still, ice freezing in the pit of her stomach. _

_Her breath coming in shaky gasps, she looked up into a pair of dark red eyes. His name came before she even thought of it: "Philippe."_

"_Yes," he coaxed softly. "It's me." Easing towards her, he held his hand out for her to take. "Come here. I won't hurt you."_

"_You're a vampire," she breathed. "You just killed him."_

"_I'm sorry you had to see that," he said, and his deep voice made her shiver, despite the warm temperature. "I didn't mean for you to find out."_

"_All this time?" she asked, more to herself than him. "Every time I came out here for someone to talk to I was talking to a murderer?"_

"_I'm sorry," he told her again. "I promise I won't hurt you. I swear." He took another couple steps toward her and she scrambled backwards, only to find herself at the water's edge. "Katharine..." he murmured, leaning down and taking her hand. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong, while still gentle._

"_Let me go!" she shrieked. "Let me go!"_

"_Shh..." He attempted to calm her, holding her to his chest and rocking back and forth. "It'll be okay." He leaned his face down to hers, and the smell of his breath made her head spin. Carefully, as not to hurt her, he closed the small space between them and kissed her._

_And she knew she should have been trying to escape, and she knew that this was the same person who killed a man not five minutes ago. But the only thing that she could think of in her already-hazy mind was that he tasted so unbearably sweet._

_After a moment of softly kissing him, she calmed down, falling against him so that he had to support her. "Why?" she breathed as he carried her away from the lake, leaning against a tree and holding her in his lap._

"_Why, what?" he murmured, pushing her hair out of her face._

"_I've been meeting you here for almost two months now. Why haven't you tried to kill me like..." She couldn't finish. The words stuck in her throat._

"_Silly Katharine," he chuckled softly, rocking her gently. "I could never hurt you. Now," He paused, flashing a dazzling smile. "What is it that you came here to talk to me for?"_

_Katharine frowned. It was strange, knowing that the man she'd poured all of her emotions and secrets for two months was a blood-thirsty murderer. But for some reason, even with this information, she couldn't bring herself to believe that he'd truly cause her harm. "My father had another talk with Lord Henry," she began, and Philippe's eyes darkened at the man's name. "And he's asked for my hand."_

"_Your hand in marriage?" he asked blackly. "Who does he think he is?" _

"_A powerful man with a lot of money. My father would dance in the middle of Paris if Lord Henry asked him to." She looked at the lake sadly. "I don't want to be with him. All he cares about is that I'm pretty."_

"_First of all," Philippe began. "You are not _pretty_; you're absolutely beautiful. Second of all, don't worry about it. I've heard that his lordship is going on a trip across Europe, and that he won't be back for a while. If he's not here, he can't marry you." He smiled down at her, and she looked back up at him._

"_Do you really think so?" She paused. "Even so, that just means that there's a longer period of time before my father sells me away like a piece of property."_

"_Well, then," he said, stretching out along the ground and holding her in his arms. "We'd better make the best of this time for now." _


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, **(Edit: Eclipse)**, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me.

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story.__**Edit: Yay! I was right for once!**_

**Hey, guys. This chapter's pretty tame compared to the past couple, but here ya go.**

Chapter Eight

I stared at Edward with slight amusement as he continued to rant and yell. The headphones Alice had offered me were working perfectly- I couldn't hear a thing he was saying, and the fortissimo notes he was slamming out were muffled, almost muted.

He'd begun yelling and shouting as soon as I relayed my conversation with Dominik to him. Esme had scolded im to the point that he stopped screaming, but now he was just ranting to himself as he banged out an angry song on the piano.

That was when Alice handed me the headphones, telling me over the clashing chords that every Cullen had a pair. "For when you want some peace and quiet," she'd said, rolling her eyes. "Especially when Emmett and Rosalie start having _fun_ again." Apparently, they'd limited their "bonding time" to days when I was out of the house, sparing my more sensitive ears.

"He won't mind?" I had asked, tilting my head towards Edward. "If I'm not listening?"

She shook her head. "No. He's not usually this loud, and when he is, it's mostly just him talking to himself."

I couldn't help but find this scene humorous, despite the situation. All I could see was Edward, his perfect lips moving a mile a minute as he continued to curse Dominik to the fiery pits of hell. But no sound reached my ears. Like a TV I'd put on mute.

After a long moment, Edward's head snapped up, and I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. I reached up, tugging the headphones down to hear Esme's voice.

"-says that he'll be here soon, so you can stop trying to break your piano."

"Yes, ma'am," Edward murmured, irritation still clear on his face. His fingers slowed, clashing notes melting into Esme's Favorite. Suck up.

"I'll be right back," I mumbled, standing and gliding up the stiars. I didn't want to be in the room when Dominik arrived, didn't want to feel his gaze on my face or hear his words in my head.

"I know who you really are."

"Well, duh," I muttered to myself. "Esme told you my name, genius." But there was more to his sentence than that, I knew. He spoke as if there was a part of me that not even I knew about. He wasn't reffering to Bella Swan, the Pheonix-raised teenager- he spoke about something deep within me, something that stirred violently when he looked at me with his too-heavy gaze.

"I'm going to get a shower," I announced to nobody in particular. That way, I could possibly not have to see Dominik at all, if I stayed in the bathroom long enough. I ducked into my room, collecting a long, denim skirt and a comfortable t-shirt for me to change into before disappearing into the bathroom.

The bathroom at the end of the third floor was- in a word- extravagant. The walls had been painted black, but the space was so wide that it didn't feel claustrophobic at all. Mirrors hung on every wall, so that I could see myself from every angle. Gray rugs covered the white marble floor, and a bouquet of silk, white roses sat on the white table that had been pushed into the far corner of the room.

Humming lightly to myself, I stepped over to the shower and pressed the glass door aside. A film had been put over the glass, turning it into a one-way mirror. If someone walked in, they'd only see themselves in the door's reflection, but I could see them. After starting the water and getting it to the appropriate temperature, I quickly stripped and stepped inside.

The water moving over my stone-cold body was a heavenly feeling. It moved in gentle rivulets, warming my skin as it ran over my shoulders and down the small of my back, past my thighs and tickling over my calves. I smiled, closing my eyes, and let the water slide through my hair, listening to its dripping on the marble.

I couldn't remember the last time a shower had felt so good. It was extremely relaxing, and I breathed in the moist air, warming me inside and out. For a second, I almost felt human.

But then, of course as it always goes, the world suddenly spun, and my body felt like it weighed four thousand pounds. I leaned against the wall and gripped the metal bar that was built just for you to hold onto. I had never felt more emotion towards a foot of hollow steel in my life.

"Help," I gasped, but no sound came from my lips. I was alone, and fear clenched my lungs with two frozen hands. I was suddenly shivering, despite the hot water that was still raining down. My throat felt tight, like I was about to cry, but I only stood there gasping and trying to focus my gaze for who knows how long.

And then suddenly, like an angel out of a dream, the door opened, and Edward appeared in the bathroom, staring at me. "Bella?" he asked softly.

I wanted to sob with relief, but then I remembered that it was a one-way mirror, and that he couldn't see my suffering. At least I thought. Despite the fact that he shouldn't have been able to see me, doubled-over and leaning against the wall, he walked forward calmly and pushed open the glass door.

I didn't even wait for him to reach out for me. I used all the strength I had to push myself into his arms. The cold of his body sent a little jolt through me, holding me to the waking world just long enough for me to hear him scream, "Carlisle! Somebody!"

But that voice wasn't Edward's. It was the smooth voice that only I heard.

_The lake was smooth, still. The moonlight glinted off of it prettily, reflecting the night sky in its mirror. The figure that stood at its edge stared up at the half-moon, his head tilted in thought. A smile creeped onto his lips, and he fingered the smooth surface of the ring in his coat pocket. _

_The lake was their meeting place, the one paradise from having to sneak notes into her bedroom and only speak when she was alone. He had discovered it while feeding, and it just became his home away from the cramped inn he'd been living in. And the night they'd met, he'd brought her here, his intentions focusing on the sweet smell of her blood._

_But she just had to open her mouth. She just had to speak with an intelligence that shouldn't be found in women of her age. Her words held weight, her thoughts intertwined with her actions. She made him_think, _a true feat. Before they knew what was happening, the sun was beginning to rise, and he had yet to kill her. His thirst was clawing at his throat, but he didn't even notice until after he'd escorted her back to her room._

_Katharine. Just the sound of her name made him want to run off and find her instead of waiting like they always did. He loved the way it just rolled off of his tongue, like an ancient language that had yet to be translated, a map that had yet to be read._

_Sighing, he pursed his lips against another smile. She would be there soon, and he didn't want her to catch on to his plan too soon. He wanted it to be a surprise, something that would catch her off-guard. _

"_Phillipe?" At the sound of her sweet voice, he turned around, finding her standing at the edge of the forest. A content smile traced her lips, and her mahogany hair tumbled loosely about her shoulders. A thick shawl was wrapped around her, hiding her tiny frame._

"_Hello, love," he murmured, gliding forward to take her in his arms. She smelled so sweet, and it wasn't even the scent of her blood that dazed him. She fit right into his embrace, like a key to a lock. The crown of her head rested just under his chin, and he kissed her forehead._

"_Marguerite is asking questions," she said into his chest, her hot breath warming him for the fleetest of seconds. "She's been watching me, too."_

_When Katharine pulled away, he saw that her eyes were red and swollen, like she'd been crying, but Phillipe couldn't detect any tears on her face. "Are you worried?" he whispered, brushing a stray curl away from her face. _

_Something flashed across her face, and a blush creeped across her cheeks. "More or less," she murmured, offering a weak smile. _

"_Hmm..." He watched her for a long moment as she looked behind him to gaze at the lake. Her brow was slightly furrowed, like she was deep in thought, and she sighed softly through her nose. "Katharine, I want to ask you something."_

_Her attention snapped back to him, and she looked up with those deep brown eyes. "Yes?"_

"_You love me, correct?" He reached down and loosened her hands from his jacket, taking them in his._

"_Of course," she asked, and that dark something flashed in front of her eyes again. Her lips twitched downwards, and she tried to look away, but he cupped her cheek with his palm and made her meet his gaze._

"_Katharine..." He sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the ring. He saw her eyes widen when he handed it to her, and she took it gingerly, placing it in her palm and inspecting it closely. She took in the thin, gold band, and the flattened metal that was background to a vertically oval, black stone. An onyx. The shiny black stone cradled an even smaller stone, an opal that glittered happily in the moonlight. Her lips parted slightly._

"_I want you to marry me." He watched her look up at him, her expression pained and confused. _

"_How..." she began, but couldn't find the words to finish._

"_I want you to become like me," he explained, putting gentle hands on her arms. "I want to keep you with me forever."_

_Her face twisted with something dark, and tears pooled in her wide eyes. "You..." she sniffed, using the base of her palm to wipe the wetness away from her face. "You might want to hear what I have to say first..."_

_He stared at her with confusion, nodding to let her continue. "What's wrong?" he murmured, trying to get her to meet his gaze. She wouldn't._

_Her shoulders shaking with silent sobs, she took the ring and held it out to him. "I'm running away, Phillipe. I'm going to Italy."_

"_We can go together," he whispered, his voice tight. What could have her so upset?_

"_Let me finish," she breathed, choking on her words. "I'm running away because I'm pregnant."_

_It took him a moment to process what she'd said, but when if finally sank in, all of his breath rushed out of him with a 'whoosh,' and he stepped away. "What?" he asked, he brow furrowed tightly. "I don't understand."_

"_I'm pregnant," she repeated. "Yours."_

_Phillipe shook his head. "That's not possible. I'm not... You can't be." His hand buried itself in his thick, black hair._

_She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "It's true, I promise." Tears slid down her face in tiny rivers, making her skin blotchy with pinkish-red spots. _

"_You've been with someone else," he accused, anger bubbling in his chest. The energy made waves across the lake's surface._

_Katharine shook her head violently, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "No, you're wrong. It's been you the whole time. You from the beginning."_

"_It can't be," he breathed, venom pooling in the back of his mouth. He spat it out on the ground and walked away, fearing that his anger would end up hurting her. Betrayal seeped through his muscles. He was the one who was supposed to convince her to marry him, not the other way around._

"_I promise," she whispered, and then they were both quiet for a long time before she spoke up again. "I'll be here tomorrow night- that's when I'm leaving. If you change your mind, and you want to come with me, then I'll be here. But if not..."_

_She didn't say anything else, and neither did he. He turned around to see her one last time before she left. Her body was faced towards the woods, as she was about to leave, but she was looking at him. The expression of complete honesty was painted on her face. She'd laid out her heart for him to see. For him to take or leave._

_She left, and he reached out and took it._

When I woke up, I was laying on Alice's bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was quiet, except for the soft murmurings of the family downstairs. Taking a deep breath, I pushed off the soft bed and stood up. My mind was spinning and my still-wet hair fell rested on my back like seaweed. It felt disgusting- I'd have Alice help me dry it in a little bit.

So many questions spun through my head, confusing me more and more. Who were these people I kept seeing? And had the girl who looked like me- Katharine- been telling the truth? How? I'd been thoroughly convinced that it was impossible for vampires to have children. She _had_ to be lying.

As soon as I opened the door to Alice and Jasper's bedroom, it got quiet downstairs. I silently made my way down, finding myself in a pair of Edward's sweatpants and a tank top. I felt exposed.

"Bella," Dominik crooned as soon as I appeared at the foot of the stiars. "It's so good to see that you're awake."

"Thank you," I murmured, looking at him disappointedly. Why was he still here? I must have been out for a good half-hour. Looking around the living room, I found that most of my family was there as well, all sitting on or around the couches. The room seemed slightly unbalanced for some reason, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Dominik stayed to make sure you were okay, Bella," Esme said, the smile on her face tight. "You gave our guest quite a scare."

"I apologize," I said, looking around the room. Edward wasn't anywhere in sight, and I sighed. He was probably outside somewhere, looking for an oppurtunity to take me away from the red-eyed vampire.

"Well, I believe 'thank you's' are in order," Esme continued, looking at me pointedly.

"Thank you?" I said, more of a question than a statement. "Who am I thanking?"

"Dominik, of course," Carlisle said from his place in his big, leather chair. "He _was _the one who found you passed out in the shower."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "No, he didn't," I said, shaking my head. "It was Edward. He walked in and caught me before I fell,"

"No, dear," Esme said patiently. "Edward was downstairs with us when Dominik started screaming for help. He said that he heard you fall."

"When I heard the noise, I knocked," Dominik explained, his voice rich and full of his Italian accent. "And when I heard you calling for help, I opened the door and found you there."

I looked at him with confused eyes. It was Edward that had found me. I knew it was.

After a long, awkward silence, Dominik sighed and stood. "Well, I was just staying to make sure you were okay. Now that I see you're up and around, Bella, I must be on my way."

I nodded, ecstatic to see him go. "Thank you again," I said, just to please Esme, and nodded my goodbye. As he let himself out the front door, I walked over to Esme and sat down next to her on the couch.

As soon as the door closed behind him, my entire family released an audible sigh. On Esme's other side, Alice groaned and put her forehead to her knees. "Thank God that's over," she muttered, and behind her, Jasper, rubbed her back, probably pushing a bit of peace in her direction.

"What?" I asked, looking from my mother-figure to Carlisle. I could feel the tensity in the atmosphere- you could probably reach out and grab it if you wanted to. "What happened?"

"Your boyfriend caught wind of a few of Dominik's not-so-innocent thoughts about you and threw a fit," Rosalie sighed, running a hand through her blond tresses.

"Well, where is he now? With Emmett?"

Alice nodded, sitting back up. "They're going up to Port Angeles to get a new stereo system."

"Why do we need-" I began, but cut off mid-sentence when I looked to where the old one was. Or, rather, where the old one was supposed to be. "Oh, let me guess. Edward."

"Why does he have to break things every time he gets mad?" Rosalie moaned, standing up and disappearing up the stairs.

I shook my head, sighing. "Do you know when he'll be back?" I asked Alice as Esme patted me on the head and walked away as well.

She shrugged. "Not long. Maybe twenty minutes," And with that, she stood up and walked outside with Jasper. "I need a mall," she sighed as the door closed behind her.

Which left me with Carlisle. "Why do I always have to cause trouble?" I asked him, snuggling into the couch. "Why can't somebody else be the focus of drama for a while?"

"Because you're with Edward," he replied with a slight grin. "It's hard not to be the center of anything when you've got Edward overreacting to every little thing."

I nodded, sighing. "You're right." And then I looked up at him. "Shouldn't you be at the hospital?"

"I took the day off since Dominik was coming over. I told them to call me if they needed me, though, so..." He shrugged, smiling at me.

My strange dream suddenly popped into my head again, and I clutched one of the couches leather pillows to my chest. "Carlisle, do you know if it's possible..." I paused, cautious. "Possible for vampires to have children?"

He was quiet for a long moment before he sighed. "No, Bella, I'm sorry. There's not."

I looked down. So Katharine _had_ been lying. A part of me clenched, and I pursed my lips against the idea. I don't know why, but I couldn't bring myself to believe it. It was possible that I didn't want to think of her of a liar, but all the facts lead to what Carlisle had said. It shouldn't be possible. But still...

_He's wrong._ The deep voice suddenly echoed in my mind, and I bit my lip against my similar protest.

Carlisle looked at me sadly. "Bella, are you okay?"

"It has to be possible," I whispered, looking in the distance. "It has to be. She wouldn't lie."

"Bella, I know it hurts. We all know what it's like, especially Esme, but just think- we have each other to-"

"What- no," I interrupted, shaking my head. "I'm not talking about a child for me."

"Well, then why do you want to know?" He asked, leaning forward to look at me.

"It's nothing," I said quickly, holding my hands up, palms-out. "It's just something from... something from my dreams..."

"The ones you told Aro about?" Carlisle inquired, raising a curious eyebrow. "I thought we had agreed that those were just emotional energies running rampant."

_Wrong._ The deep voice said again, and I flinched- not out of fear, but at the thought that Carlisle could be wrong. _Wrong, wrong, wrong_.

"Wrong," I said out loud, resisting the urge to smack my hand over my mouth and apologize. I hadn't meant to say it, but it leapt from my lips unbidden.

"Excuse me?" he said, looking at me like I'd grown a second head.

"I said," Breathing in deeply, I looked down at the floor. "I said that I think you're wrong."

"Bella," he said solemnly, "I think that you should remember that what you're dreaming, whenever you have these episodes, is nothing to think too much about. Vampires are dead. The only way a dead man would be able to have children is if the sperm was collected within a half-hour of his dying. And even so, the egg of the female would be dead as well."

Embarrassed, I nodded silently and stood up, shuffling across the living room and back up the stairs. "I still..." I began, intending to say "I still think you're wrong," but there was no use in arguing with Carlisle. With a quiet 'thank you,' I climbed up the stairs and started digging around my bedroom.

Edward would be home soon, and I needed to find my headphones.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, **(Edit: Eclipse)**, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me.

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story.__**Edit: Yay! I was right for once!**_

**I hadn't intended on writing this chapter, honestly. I was just going to pick up with the surprise at the end (Hey! Stop scrolling down to read ahead!). But I began it the way I did, and the words just kept coming. So, here it is. Chapter nine. It's dedicated to twilighttopaz333, because her life depends on this chapter. :)**

Alice was bouncing in her seat. It wasn't unusual- she did some pretty weird things when she was excited, but she normally waited until she was out of the car and not driving. I wasn't worried about her crashing the car or anything, but it was strange for her to be so happy and not tell me a thing.

"So, I take it you two are in on this?" I asked, twisting in my seat to look back at Esme and Rosalie. The blond merely gave me a slight smile and continued looking out the window, still not the epitome of a best friend. Esme, however gave a soft chuckle and nodded.

"I suppose that means it's something of importance, if you two are in on it," I grumbled, turning back around. "Well... if you two are in on it and Esme's not objecting."

"It'll be fine, Bella," Alice said, grinning ear-to-ear. She ran a hand through her spiky hair before turning off onto the exit for Port Angeles. "If it were something dangerous or potentially harmful, do you think Edward would have made you come on your own?"

That _was_ a point to consider. With the wedding about a month away and my prolonged inability to control my power, Edward had been at my side constantly. Why wouldn't he have come with us to our mysterious destination? My thoughts raced, until realization smacked me across the face.

"You _told_ him not to come!" I accused, watching Alice's bouncing slow with wary eyes.

"Maybe," she sniffed pretentiously, unnecessarily keeping her eyes on the road.

"Why?" It had to be something big to keep Edward from coming, especially since he gave up so easily. All Alice had to do was say, "Edward, we're taking Bella," and he nodded and returned to the novel he was reading.

"It's bad luck," she murmured. It would have been too quiet for a human to hear, but my ears understood it just fine.

"Bad _luck_?" My forehead creased with confusion, until it hit me. "Oh my god," I breathed. "You're taking me to get a _wedding dress_!" I spat the words out like they were poison, glaring at her.

"Now, now, Bella," Esme, the voice of reason, crooned from the backseat. "It's inevitable. The wedding is in four weeks, and if you want to look decent, we'll have to start looking now so that Alice and I will have time to fit it." I understood what she meant- she made sense. But the idea of the wedding being so close made me want to puke.

"It won't be so bad," Rosalie said, piping up. "Just think of it like you're shopping for a pair of blue jeans, except they're not blue and they're not jeans."

"I don't think it's going to be that easy," I muttered, looking out my window and watching the signs blurring past.

"Well, on the upside," Alice said after a sigh. "We're not looking for a specific dress. We're looking for styles you like so that someone else can design it especially for you."

"Who?" I asked, panicking. It was bad enough that Edward was insisting on buying me a car for a wedding present. If word got around that I had a Vera Wang dress or some other million-dollar-designer, who knows what people would start gossiping about. It was a bad habit of mine, worrying about what other people thought about the wedding, but I couldn't help myself. I'd been raised to abhor the idea of marriage, so abhor I did.

"Nobody special," Alice assured me. "He only does small-time designing, but he's very talented. He already did one of Rosalie's wedding dresses, and he created the one I wore to the charity ball."

I pursed my lips, thinking of the dress that looked like a night sky. It was pretty enough for me, and obviously stylish enough for Alice. I supposed that I could possibly try not to rip off the dresses they made me try on. I didn't make any promises, though.

Trying to ignore the voice that strongly despised the idea of marriage, I let my thoughts wonder to dresses. I'd never been one to get dressed up, but with Alice, Rosalie, and my mom all gathered in one room, I doubted I'd be allowed out without make-up. But all my desperate fears relied on the hope that my mother wouldn't let me wear bright red lipstick and-or dark eyeshadow. And Alice was planning the wedding for outside (the exact location was being held from me), so she probably wouldn't go crazy with the hair, just in case it rained- which would probably happen.

So, as Alice and Esme chattered on back and forth about the reception, I let myself wonder what I'd be wearing when I walked down the aisle. It didn't really matter that much to me, but I knew that Edward would look breathtaking in anything Alice dressed him up in, and I wanted to look at least decent compared to him in the wedding photos.

I cringed as I pictured myself in dress after dress, visibly wincing at some. It was just so strange and unbelievably distant. The wedding was in less than a month, but it felt like a lifetime away. The dresses I imagined got bigger and poofier as I continued thinking about it. All I could worry about was walking down the aisle- while people gossiped and talked about me- wearing the dorkiest dress imaginable.

Shopping just got a lot more formidable.

"This is the place," I heard Alice sing next to me, parking the car and unbuckling. "Remember- we don't have to buy anything. We're just browsing."

"That really doesn't make me feel any better." I unbuckled myself, pushing open the door of Edward's Volvo.

"It'll be alright, Bella," Esme said, patting my cheek affectionately.

Rosalie fixed her jeans on her perfect hips and stepped up next to us. "Yeah. And, hell, if all else fails, you can outrun us now."

I grinned at her, and she looked at the ground, glancing back up with a faint smile.

"Oh, stop scaring her," Alice muttered, taking my hand and pulling me into the boutique. The smell of plastic and generic air freshener immediately hit me. And blood. I paused for a minute at the doorway, closing my eyes and taking a few deep, calming breaths before I nodded at Alice, who still held my hand.

"Oh, Bella, dear, look at this one," Esme cooed, pulling a big, fluffy dress off of a rack. It was in a protective plastic bag, but one glimpse at the gaudy lace and beading and I shuddered. She chuckled. "I'm just kidding you."

I was opening my mouth for a retort when a painfully familiar voice reached my ears. "Hi, welcome to Chapels, I'll be with you in a minute!"

My eyes widened and I looked at Alice. "Is that..."

She nodded, stifling a laugh with a dainty hand. She may have thought it was funny, but I wanted to hide in the nearest rack of dresses, like I used to do when I was little. I hadn't told anybody but my parents about the wedding, and I didn't want the news to be spread that I showed up in a Port Angeles wedding boutique, with the Cullen women, no less.

"Oh, my god," I whispered. "We've got to leave."

"No way," Rosalie said, realization dawning on her face. She grinned, her hands on her hips. "This is going to be so awesome."

Esme looked between Alice, Rose, and I, confused. "What? What's going on?"

"Don't worry," Alice snickered. "It's just-"

"Bella? Bella Swan?"

I cringed, turning around, and fisting my hands at my side. "Hi, Jessica."

"Oh, my god!" The petite brunette looked like she'd just swallowed vinegar, thinking it was water. "You look so... different..." Her eyes moved up and down my body, gaping openly. Her gaze locked on my left hand, still clenched at my side, and she visibly relaxed.

"We need to look at some wedding dresses," Rosalie said, pursing her perfect lips to disguise a wicked grin. I was sure she had some twisted idea she was ready to set in motion- she looked like a lioness poised to pounce.

"Rosalie..." Jessica said, a smile tight on her face. "Alice...And you must be their mom." She looked up at Esme, obviously a little intimidated. It was her natural instinct to be afraid in a room with so many vampires. "Um, yeah, sure. What kind of style were you interested in."

I opened my mouth to speak, but Rosalie took a step forwards and directed the conversation. "Well, I've always liked simple A-lines, but Alice thinks a sheath style would better suit the occasion. So, we'd probably like to go through both."

"Ah, okay." Jessica breathed, turning towards a rack of clothes. Her lips moved wordlessly as she mouthed incredulous words. She reached over and pulled an empty rack over, taking a few plastic-protected dresses and setting them on it. After four or five dresses, she summoned us over.

Rosalie, once again, took the lead, stepping forward and examining each dress with intense concentration. I was confused, but one suggestive look from Alice, and I couldn't help but smile. I understood what she was doing now. If I could still blush, my cheeks would be a pretty shade of red.

"Oooh," my blond soon-to-be sister suddenly said. "I love this one!" She picked up a dress that would make Cinderella's gown seem like rags. Looking from me, to Alice, to Esme, she said, "Do you mind if I try it on?"

"You should," I offered. "You'd look gorgeous in it."

I saw Jessica's eyes glance at Rosalie's hand, which she held up to her mouth as if she were considering something. The florescent lights glittered off of the ring on her third finger.

"Jess, where are the dressing rooms?" Rose demanded in a sugar-sweet voice.

"That way," Jessica mumbled, pointing behind a set of mirrors.

"Thanks." She lifted the dress over her arm and strutted off.

"Wow," Jess breathed, her eyes darting around uncertainly. "She's going to be a beautiful bride." The jealousy seeping off of her was palpable.

"She will be," Alice confirmed, taking Rose's place at the rack of dresses. She picked one up and looked it up and down, making sure it was angled towards me. Her eyes glanced up at mine, and I shook my head minutely. Making a noncommittal noise, she put it back.

"Did you receive your invitation to the wedding yet?" I asked, tucking my thumbs in the back pocket of my blue jeans. "Alice sent them out a couple days ago, but nobody's tied up the line, so we figured that either they hadn't gotten them or the news hadn't shocked anybody."

"No," Jessica said faintly, as if she was thinking about something else. Her eyes kept drifting to my face, and having her examining my pale, beautiful features was disconcerting.

"I, personally, don't think that a lot of people will be shocked." Alice shrugged as she moved from Jessica's picks to the entire rack. "I mean, they've been practically glued to the hip since our junior year."

Esme smiled, but kept quiet, wandering off to look at a collection of bridesmaids' dresses.

"So, Jessica," I began. "I thought you were going to college in California."

"Well, yeah," Her shoulders relaxed a little now that we were talking about a subject she was comfortable with: herself. "But school doesn't start until September, so I thought I'd keep my job here for a little bit to earn a little extra spending money. Is it true that you're going to Alaska for college?"

The question was pointed at me, but Alice jumped in. "We all are. Well- She, Edward, Jasper, and I. We're renting a house near campus, so Jazz and I will take upstairs and Bella and Edward will take downstairs."

"Oh." Jessica's gaze turned back to me, and I could feel a loaded question pointed at me before it was even said. "So, are you and Edward going to share a room?"

I gave a nervous laugh, but tried to keep my cool. "Of course. Why wouldn't we?"

Jessica pursed her lips, and I could already see the list of names that she was going to divulge this piece of gossip to. Lauren, Mike, Samantha, Lee, Connor... The names just kept coming.

That was when Rosalie glided out in all of her pale, blond, majestic glory. She had her hands clasped in front of her as she walked, her back straight, and her chin held high. If the rainy little town of Forks had a queen, Rosalie would have a tiara pressed into her blond locks. The full, white dress hugged her curves, flaring out at the hips into the biggest skirt I'd ever seen, along with an endless train. Jessica's jaw visibly dropped.

"Rosalie, you look _beautiful_," Esme sang, smiling and stepping back over towards us. She knelt down and picked up the edge of the dress, examining the hemline with intense concentration. She ran a finger over the stitching, murmuring something incoherent to herself.

"What do you think, Alice?" Rose looked at me when she said it, smoothing her hands over the beading on the bodice. I wanted to look away, knowing that I could never be the goddess that she was.

"I love it- it really flatters your figure," the tiny psychic evaluated, a dainty finger tapping her chin. "Bella?"

"I like it on you," I shrugged, looking her up and down. "It's too much for me, personally."

"Why don't you try on some other ones?" Alice said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just to keep your options open."

"Good idea," Esme murmured, standing up and putting a hand on Rosalie's arm. "Here, I'll help you take it off."

"Bella and I will bring some to the dressing rooms in a minute," Alice called after them as they disappeared behind the mirrors. She then turned to Jess. "Do you have anything that might look vintage? We kind of wanted to have an old-fashioned wedding."

"Sure, just a second," She disappeared into a back room, her smile fading before she even turned all the way around. "I can't believe I'm taking orders from a Cullen," she whispered, too low for human ears, but we picked it up just fine and stifled laughs.

"Alice, you and Rosalie don't have to do this," I murmured, folding my arms in front of me. "I mean, I really appreciate it, but she's going to find out that I'm the one getting married soon enough."

"Well, at least now she can't spread any gossip about it until she gets the invitation." She looked thoughtful. "And if she tries to tell people that you and Edward will be living in sin in Alaska, people who _do_ have their invitation will laugh in her face."

"That _is_ a positive," I laughed, shaking my head.

Jessica reappeared with her arms full of plastic and silk. I reached forward to help her, but she made a little noise, refusing my assistance. It took her a full three minutes to manage to hang up each of the six dresses without dropping any of them. "I hope money isn't an issue," she said, a little out of breath- even though she knew that money was never a problem with the Cullens. "Some of these dresses have some lace that's pretty pricey."

"The price doesn't matter. The wedding has to be perfect." Alice examined each one, and I watched her expressions change from pleased to disgusted to satisfied to appalled. After a moment, she pulled two off of the rack and pulled me towards the mirrors. "Let's go dress up the bride!"

I let her drag me behind the wall of reflections and through the door where she knew Rosalie and Esme would be. She let go of my hand to open the door, and let me walk in before her. The door locked automatically behind us.

For a dressing room, the changing space was surprisingly large. I wondered absently if every boutique was like this- large and overly elegant. Three of the four walls were mirrors, and there was a small pedestal built into the center of the floor for the bride to stand on. Esme was leaning against a wall, murmuring into her cell phone, and Rosalie was in the far corner, boldly stripping of the wedding dress. She stood tall as she picked the dress up off of the floor, shamelessly flaunting her perfect figure.

"Bella," Rosalie said and pointed at the dresses in Alice's hand. "Why don't you try those on? I can go back out front and search for some different styles. Keep up the appearance."

I watched her with wide eyes as she pulled her khakis back on. "I- I don't know." After Rosalie's exquisite display of modeling, the inoffensive dresses looked nefarious.

"Remember," she said to me as she buttoned her blouse up. "You're just trying on blue jeans." Without another word, she opened the door and glided out the door, tossing a "Be right back!" over her shoulder.

"Okay, Bella, this one has a lot of buttons, so we'll try it on first," Alice said, hanging both of the gowns on the rack that Rosalie had placed her princess dress on. As I reluctantly pulled my shirt over my head, she unzipped the protective bag and pulled out the lacy garment. "Alright this one dates about Edward's time- the style. High neck, full skirt, lots of lace- the works."

I shuddered, stepping out of my jeans.

"Do you need any help?" Esme asked, turning to us and pressing the phone to her shoulder.

"No, we've got it under control," Alice mumbled as she undid the many, many buttons that danced down the back of the dress. Her hands were blurs to the human eye, already finished in thirty seconds. "Alright, come here, Bella," She held the dress open for me to step into, and I suppressed the strangled whimper that wanted to escape. "The bodice is a little tricky, so I'll help you with that."

I nodded, holding my breath as I put one foot into the mass of lace and silk, and then the other. My newfound balance became useful, as I was able to stay straight as Alice gently pulled the dress over my legs, past my thighs, and settled the skirt on my hips. The mesh fabric beneath the silk skirt was scratchy and unfamiliar on my legs. The excessive beading rubbed against my stomach as Alice led my arm through one loop after another, murmuring words of encouragement. You would think I was getting a tattoo, not trying on a dress.

Finally, the sleeves were on, and Alice buttoned up the back, which stretched from my tail bone to the very top of my spine at the back of my neck. "Aw, Bella!" Alice said, turning me around and pulling me towards the pedestal in the center of the floor. "You looked nice in my vision, but you look even prettier in person!"

I looked like I belonged on a Little House on the Prairie episode.

The long lace sleeves covered everything from my cleavage up. The bodice was uncomfortable, and I was surprised that the skirt didn't have a wire hoop underneath to hold it up. It felt ridiculous. "Alice," I sighed, disappointed. "I wish that I could say that I was having a totally cliché moment where I tear up and say it's the perfect dress, but I don't like it at all."

I'd expected her to start arguing with me when she pursed her lips, but she closed her eyes and nodded. "Okay. If it's not what you want."

"Wow," I mumbled as she helped me down and out of the dress. "What I want? So you wouldn't mind if I got married in sweats?"

"Don't be silly," she laughed. "You're wearing a dress- you're going to have to get over that part. What I mean is that I want you to be comfortable in whatever you wear while going through with the oh-so-torturous ceremony."

I sighed. "Well, then let's get this shopping thing over with." I walked over to the rack as she put the gown back into the protective bag. The other dress was the same style- poofy, high-necked, ridiculous. I pursed my lips, examining it closer. The lace was beautiful, a design that seemed to blend modern and old fashioned style. The pattern was almost a tessellation of circles, flowers, and other unidentifiable shapes.

There was a knocking at the door, and Alice went to open it, revealing Rosalie, who was struggling to contain her laughter. "Oh, my God," she snorted as she closed the door behind her. "Jessica is out there on her phone, gossiping like there's no tomorrow."

Alice grinned, but I didn't feel as comfortable with it as they did. I attempted a smile, but it came out twisted and mangled.

"She's talking to that Lauren girl, talking about how Bella's gotten plastic surgery, and how we look like we just got done rolling around in chalk dust."

I lifted a hand to touch my offended, marble skin. I hadn't even told her that I was the bride yet, and she was already spreading lies to half of Washington. What would she say when she got her invitation? That I was a gold digger. That I was pregnant. That my dad found out and was making me get married. Who knows the kind of things they'd be saying behind my back?

And who cares? A small part of me asked. You'll be gone in just a couple months. You'll never see them again and vice versa. There's no reason to get so worked up over people who don't even care about you.

And then there was another part of me that wanted to cry. So what, if I would never see them again? All the more reason to leave them with good thoughts of me. All the more reason to want to save my reputation while I could. It was more pride than anything, I suppose. I hated the idea that people could slander my name and ruin me just because I was marrying straight out of high school.

Ugh. Marrying.

"I got some other dresses while I was out there," Rosalie said, putting them on the half-empty rack. "I saw this one," She tapped the front one. "And thought you'd like it. It's simple, and it's not incredibly princess, so..." Shrugging, she let her words trail off.

"Sure," I murmured faintly. "I'll try it."

She pulled it out and undid the zipper, letting me step into it. "Blue jeans," she whispered in my ear.

I closed my eyes, imagining it was a school day and I was getting dressed. Edward would be outside my room, perhaps making sure I had my backpack and raincoat by the door. I imagined that the slinky fabric slipping over my thighs was denim, imagined that Alice was chattering in my ear that I should wear something that flatters my figure more. I pictured that, instead of Alice zipping the back up, that Edward was fixing my coat over my shoulders.

"Oh, Bella..." I heard Esme breathe, and my eyes fluttered open. Alice and Rosalie were beaming at me. The smaller of the two turned me around, so I was facing one of the mirrored walls. I had to admit: Rosalie had taste. This dress wasn't at all like the first one. It was an off-white color that normally I would have hated for a wedding dress, but with my snow-white skin, it looked good. There was a thick, silk ribbon across the strapless cleavage line, and another one around my waist.

"So..." Alice was bouncing again. "What do you think?"

"It's..." I paused, turning around and looking over my shoulder at the back. "Not bad. Much better than the other one. It's just..." I turned back around. "Missing something..."

"Oh, Carlisle," Esme murmured into the cell phone. "I wish you could see Bella right now. She looks so beautiful."

I bit my lip, turning this way and that in front of the mirror. The dress wasn't really horrible at all. It was just... plain, somehow. I listened as Alice and Rosalie argued about what they would do with my hair. Making sure they wouldn't see, I smoothed a hand over my stomach, feeling the smooth fabric beneath my fingers. Inspiration struck me.

"Alice?"

"Mmm-hmm?" She asked, stepping up next to me and looking at my reflection.

"You said that we're not looking for a specific dress, right? Just styles and stuff?"

"Yes, of course. Why? Are there changes you want to make, or something?"

"Yeah." I walked over to the rack and picked up the second dress that she had brought in. "I like this lace, and the dress seems plain." I unzipped the bag and pulled out one of the lacy sleeves. "Don't you think that it'd look good if we... I don't know..." Laying the sleeve over my stomach, I turned so she could see the combination. "Put them together?"

Alice's eyes widened, and then she looked up at Rose. "That looks so pretty!" Taking the other sleeve, she set it against my shoulder, comparing the shades. "What do you think, Rosalie?"

"I think Bella's a genius." She said, slinking down into one of the nearby chairs. "I wish I'd thought of it."

"Carlisle?" Esme suddenly asked, straightening. Her voice was alarmed. "Carlisle what's going on?"

At that exact same moment, Alice's expression was wiped blank, and her eyes widened. Her jaw dropped in a display of horror.

"Alice," Rosalie was on her feet in a blur, shaking her sister's arm. "Alice, what's wrong?"

The psychic's eyes turned to me, full of fear and shock. "The werewolves are attacking."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, **(Edit: Eclipse)**, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me.

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story.__**Edit: Yay! I was right for once!**_

**I just got out of school, so I promise I'll be working on these chapters harder so there's not three months between every chapter. Ugh. Thanks so much to my super-awesome Beta (How's the search for the crystal ball going, Alice?)!  
**

If it was possible to die from being too afraid, the Cullens would be planning my funeral. The disbelief was choking me, practically solid. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Rosalie had to literally drag me out of my state of initial shock.

The Volvo was deafening, between Alice and Rosalie swearing up a storm and Esme trying to calm their arguing and shouting. I was lying down in the backseat, my head in Esme's lap, my eyes wide and staring. My breath came only in shaky spurts, and if my heart had been alive, it would have been fluttering faster than a humming bird's wings.

They were fighting. Who was I supposed to cheer for? The one who completed my life? Or the one who put it back together? An image from my dark days pierced through my thoughts: a giant, gray wolf lunging at me, his jaws wide and snarling. I shuddered.

"Well, what do you expect me to do, Rosalie?" Alice hissed. "I can't see them and you know that! I can't just say 'Oh, I think I'll check on the dogs today!'"

"It's not like you've been keeping an eye out for anybody these days! All you're doing is worrying about Bella's stupid wedding!" The driving blond goddess snapped back, accelerating the already flying Volvo forward.

"And since when am I the damn _watchdog_ for this family?" Alice snarled. "If you were so worried about it, why didn't you run over to the division line and check every day to see if they were coming, huh? Because that's pretty much what you're asking me!"

"Girls!" Esme shouted, but they ignored her.

"_Hey_! At least I show some _concern_ for this freaking family!" Rosalie was like a daughter of Ares, beautiful, angry, violent. Her hair practically floated with the furious energy she was emitting, her eyes were black fire.

"Concern? _Concern_! Oh, please, you never look away from the mirror to give any of us a second glance. You're so caught up in _yourself_ that you don't-"

"Me? You've got to be fucking kidding me!"

"Rosalie! Watch your language!"

"You're always the one going on shopping trips and trying to fix everything about Bella that isn't broken- her hair, her wardrobe, her-"

"At least I'm not ignoring her and telling Edward that she's _dead_!"

"Because _you_ told _me_ she was dead! I wasn't trying to hurt anybody with that and you know it!"

"Girls, that's the past- let it go."

"Oh, please, you _loved_ it when Edward hung up on you! Just because you knew you had made him angry!"

I shut my eyes as tight as I could, slamming my hands over my ears. I didn't want to hear this, didn't want to hear them arguing about something so far away. Their muffled screams still reached me, though, and they weren't making the fear any easier to deal with.

"_Bella." _It was the mysterious deep voice, calm and reasoning, but with an edge of panic. _"Tell her to slow down. Tell Rosalie to slow the car down." _

"What?" I whimpered, the noise drowned out by something Alice was shouting.

"_Tell her to slow down. She's driving recklessly." _He sounded like a responsible father, trying to get his daughter out of danger. His sudden appearance in my mind surprised me- his voice was beginning to sound familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd heard it before. He hadn't spoken to me since Dominik had been in town.

"We can't be hurt," I mumbled.

"_But others can. This isn't just about you."_

I slowly sat up, looking into the front seat. The speedometer was off the charts, and a thrill went up my spine. "Rosalie," I whispered.

"_Good girl,"_

"Rosalie!" I insisted louder, but she still couldn't hear me. She was still defending her honor from last spring. "Rosalie, _slow down_!" She couldn't hear me- or, rather, she wouldn't listen.

"_Use the energy,"_ the strange voice commanded, and I tried to reach out with my mind, to touch the anger and panic radiating from all of us. _"Stop looking for something physical, Bella,"_ he instructed. _"I'll help you."_

"I can't do it," I said, shaking my head.

"_Just like you couldn't resist that woman's blood?"_ he hissed harshly. Biting my lip, I thought back to Italy, when he had helped me stop myself from drinking from Gianna.

The world outside the Volvo's window was just one slide of green. I couldn't even tell if we were on the highway anymore. I squinted, looking as far down the road as I could, and my breath hitched, then picked up in a sprint. An intersection was coming up, and a woman with a young girl in the back seat had just slowed to a stop at the red light. I prayed that the light would stay until we passed it.

"Rosalie, slow down, you're going to hurt somebody!" I shouted over hers and Alice's bickering. I watched with wide, fearful eyes as we approached the intersection.

"_Do it! Now!"_

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to even out my hysteric breathing. The car had to stop. If we hit the woman's pathetic minivan going at the speed we were, neither her or her daughter would walk away from it alive.

How was I supposed to approach the situation? At first, I tried pretending that I was Rosalie and stomping on the break, but that didn't work. Then I tried to actually stop the car with the rampant energies, but that became too tiring with not enough success.

I opened my eyes again, letting them dart around my surroundings. There wasn't enough time. I watched the red light flash green. Acting on pure instinct, I smashed the window on my left, attracting everyone's attention. I reached my hands out, as if I was reaching for something and fisted them, tugging them sharply, hard. There was resistance. I yanked the invisible chords once more, and there was a loud cracking.

Three trees fell across our pathway, and Rosalie finally got the message.

She slammed her foot on the break, possibly crushing the metal. Her hands guided the car to the shoulder, and she stopped as soon as she could. The woman at the intersection, too far ahead for her to see us, continued through without a worry.

We were all quiet for a long moment. I counted off four whole minutes before I was breathing normally again, and then Rosalie said faintly, "I'm sorry, everybody. Alice, I shouldn't have spoken to you away."

"I apologize as well," she whispered back, her tiny hand covering her eyes. "This is nobody's fault- we just need to get there as fast as we can. Safely."

Rosalie started the car once more, easing it off of the road and parking it. "Come on. We'll get there faster on foot anyways."

We nodded in silent agreement, and I made a mental note to apologize to Edward for ruining his windows. And when I saw the floorboard of the driver's side, I added that to the list, too. Remembering Edward sent a fresh wave of panic, freezing my vocal chords.

"They were taking the back route to the mountains," Esme said, the little silver cell phone still clutched in her hand. Her knuckles were white. "The wolves probably intercepted them just when the land gets hilly."

Alice nodded and shot off like a bow from an arrow, leading the way for us. Esme, Rose, and I followed, quickly catching up and matching pace with her. It wasn't like any other time I'd gone running, especially when I was with Edward. I usually thought that the scenery flew by too fast, and that it felt like I was flying. Tonight it felt like I couldn't go fast enough, and I felt like I was always on the verge of stumbling. My breath wasn't normally labored when I ran, but the terror claiming me made it shake and shudder.

"I don't see them," I heard Alice tell Esme, her voice tight and pained. "Do you?"

I wanted to fall to the ground and sob, but at the same time, I had to keep moving. I started singing to myself, some silly song I remembered from middle school, just to keep my mouth distracted, to keep it from screaming or crying or biting my lip off.

I had to think of something. This was all my fault, and I had to find them. How, I asked myself. How do you find something you can't see or hear or smell?

We ran in silence, our breathing following the same unsteady pattern. I wondered if any of them were as close to breaking down as I was. Selfish as it is, I assumed they probably didn't. Four men they loved were out there. I had ten. I couldn't even bear the thought of Sam or Paul getting hurt, much less... I couldn't even think the name.

"I think I smell them!" Esme suddenly cried, veering to the right.

We all followed, breaking the common pace and bursting off as fast as we could. I'd expected to be at the back of our tiny group, but I was neck-and-neck with Esme, and we exchanged frightened glances as we urged our bodies to move faster.

The guys' scents grew stronger and stronger, and we knew we were getting especially close when Rosalie caught a whiff of werewolf. The smell of dead meat stung my nose. Anger began to swell in my chest as I got closer and closer.

How dare they? How dare they take advantage of them when they were obviously outnumbered six to four? My throat felt tight as I remembered Emily's warm, inviting kitchen. Had they planned the attack there, eating those disgustingly delicious muffins? Did Jacob even try to stop them, or did he sit back and help map out our hunting routes? How many hours did they spend tracking down our paths, figuring out everywhere we'd be?

Or was it a spur of the moment thing? Had the Cullen men just been out hunting, and just happen upon the werewolves. Did Quil and Emmett start throwing insults back and forth, making Paul lose his temper? Had Carlisle and Sam tried to stop it? Did they?

Questions swirled in my mind as we approached the battle scene. I gasped when I got sight of the action, and I immediately saw red. A snarl equivalent to that of a mother tigress protecting her cubs ripped from my throat, and three of the six wolves looked up with alarmed expressions. Similar growls erupted from Esme, Alice, and Rosalie, and we flung ourselves into the warzone.

Fighting came almost as naturally as hunting did. I slammed my fist into the closest dog, leaping away from his snapping jaws. He let out a sharp whimper, limping away from my reach and taking cover between two of his brothers.

I immediately looked for Edward, and I found him in the center of a circle of three wolves. Fury over came me, and I threw myself at the flank of one that was trying to snap at Edward's arm while he was distracted by another. Bones crunched, and the skinnier gray, spotted wolf leaped away from me, snarling and whining to make a pathetic noise.

I wondered whose leg it was I'd just broken. Quil, with his nonstop jokes? Or Sam, who might have needed a kick off of his high horse. Or... It hurt to think it. Or Jacob?

While the chance was open, I dove into the circle, covering Edward's back with my own. I breathed a short sigh of relief just to see that he was whole and seemingly unharmed. "We're here," I breathed as the wolves stepped backwards, obviously confused. All three kept looking from me to a large, black-furred wolf, to a slightly smaller one with russet-colored fur, and back to me. A chocolate one whined, the noise high-pitched and painful to my ears.

"What?" I hissed at it. "Mad that it's a fair fight now?"

Jared? Embry?

The big, gray wolf that Edward was facing snarled, unperturbed by my sudden appearance.

"Paul," my love suddenly said, and I wasn't sure if he was telling me the wolf's name or trying to calm it down. But then he pointed over his shoulder at the skinny gray, spotted one I'd hit and said, "Embry."

Guilt crushed my heart, but I had to keep an brave face. If I had any chance of escaping these woods with every one of my friends alive, I couldn't show them how afraid for them I was. Right now, they were riled up and probably wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of any weakness I showed. I had to find Jacob- he was the one I could most likely get through to.

"Carlisle already told us not to kill them," Edward whispered to me. "So don't worry about any of them- just stay alive. They'll probably start retreating now that you're all here. Defense, not offense."

I nodded, looking at the chocolate wolf. "Who's this one?"

Paul lunged at Edward, and he twisted out of the way. My body responded to his, doing the same reflexively. We moved as one, dodging the wolf's attacks in a synchronized fashion.

"That," he said as he pulled me out of reach of one of Paul's clawed paws. "Is Quil."

Quil. Quil, Embry, and Paul. My throat was feeling tighter and tighter.

"The big black one is Sam," Edward continued, and we avoided another snap of the wolf's jaws. Embry and Quil had backed up, whining, confused. "The brownish-reddish one is your Jacob." He tried not to say the word with any emotion, I noticed, but he failed, and just a little bit of ice leaked onto the name.

Sam's growl was more of a vicious roar, and Embry and Quil snapped to attention, suddenly darting towards where Rosalie was ready to pull a tan wolf to pieces. Emmett was trying to explain Carilsle's orders to her, but she was too furious to listen.

"He's scolding them for not following orders, so they're supposed to focus on other people now." Edward said, dodging another one of Paul's attacks.

"He told them to hurt you?" I asked incredulously, looking over my shoulder at the black monster who was facing Esme and Carlisle.

Edward was quiet for what seemed like forever before he answered quietly. "Yes. He told them to kill me." We continued to dodge attacks in silence as I tried to keep a brave face. I'd never forgive Sam. Never. Suddenly, Edward said, "We're going to pin him."

I didn't even have time to ask how before Edward dove under Paul, lifting him over his head and throwing him on his back. The gray wolf was taken by surprise, and landed on his back with a strangled yelp. "Bella!" Edward shouted, and I threw myself on Paul, laying across his stomach and holding him to the ground. Edward straddled the wolf's shoulder, sitting down and holding his neck still. Paul didn't stop growling, but kept still. He knew that Edward could easily snap his neck.

"Sit up, Bella," he murmured, his voice low and rough. I did as he told and straddled Paul's hind legs, my back to Edward's. "I'm sorry this interrupted your bonding time with the girls," he said, trying to calm my shaking breath with small talk.

"Wedding dress shopping doesn't count as bonding," I said, and Paul growled loudly, obviously listening to us. He started struggling, but stilled. I assumed that Edward had tightened his hold on Paul's neck.

"But did you have fun?" he asked as I watched Alice duck and dance her way around Embry.

I bit my lip, wanting to cry, wanting to scream, wanting to laugh with relief that they all seemed alright. Looking over my shoulder, I replied, "It wasn't horrible. We actually ran into Jessica."

"Oh, really, what was she- Bella, look out!"

Before I could react, I felt like a hot, furry boulder knocked into me, pushing me off of Paul. My head smacked against the ground, and I felt my shoulders digging into the earth, dirt and rocks staining and ripping my shirt. The russet-colored wolf had pinned me to the ground. Jacob loomed over me with fire in his eyes.

Everything seemed to stop. He was sitting on my legs, one of his front paw on my chest, the other on the earth next to my head. I couldn't tell if the silence around me was imagined, or if everyone really had stopped fighting to watch Jake and I. I couldn't see anything past him and his big, angry eyes.

"Oh, Jake," I whispered, and his hold seemed to soften a bit before it got even tighter. I couldn't breathe, but the smell of him was so bad that it didn't really bother me. My throat was so tight. If I was human, my face would be sticky with tears.

"Sam..." I heard Carlisle say calmly. "Call Jake off. Get him off of Bella." There was a low growl that followed, and Carlisle continued. "If you kill that girl, this family will be upset."

"Especially me," I heard Edward whisper, not far away. He was holding Paul down, and if he moved to push Jacob off, the big, gray wolf would rip him to shreds. "Hurt her and I'll kill you and every single one of your damn friends."

"Edward," Carlisle said. "Control yourself."

"Jake," I whispered again, and he whined. And I understood.

Sam was ordering him to kill me.

"Jake, no." My voice was shaky, uneven. His eyes finally revealed emotion- hurt, pain, indecision, betrayal, uncertainty, frustration.

"Sam," Edward said, his voice tight.

The black wolf gave a loud snarl.

"Sam, I know you're mad at her," Edward continued. "I know you're mad at us, but please. Don't hurt Bella. Call Jacob off."

Jacob and I looked into each other's eyes, waiting for the guillotine to fall. On both of us.

"I _know_ that!" Edward suddenly growled, and my body shook with a fearful, anxious sob. "I _know_ he's better for her! I know that better than _him_! But to her, choosing Jacob over me is like choosing Leah over Emily!"

Jacob gave a whimper, like he was on the verge of crying too.

Did Edward mean Leah Clearwater? What did she have to do with anything? Jake was so hot and furry- I should have been sweating- and his weight on my legs and chest was uncomfortable. Not breathing was beginning to bother me.

Both parties were quiet for one of the longest moments of my life. Sam was either considering Edward's words or silently giving my death sentence.

"We'll be leaving in two months," Carlisle began to speak again. "Two months, and we'll be out of your hair."

Sam gave another snarl, as did Paul.

"Yes, we know about the treaty," I heard Edward say. I wished so badly that I could see past Jacob. I felt so blind, not being able to see what was going on. I wanted to be able to look at Edward, even if it was just to see the uncertainty and fear in his ocher eyes. "It was her choice. I would have gladly left her human."

I flinched at the rejection, but he had said it so many times before that the actual hurt didn't bother me. Even after these past months, he still regrets my changing?

"You know how stubborn Bella can be when she wants something, Jacob. You know her almost as well as I do."

Jake gave a rough, half-hearted snarl.

"Okay. Maybe." His voice held a bit of a smile, but then his tone changed. "Please, Sam. Just call them back. We don't have to hate each other."

There was a long tense moment, and before long, I felt more heat coming my way, and a long shadow appeared over me. Looking up, I saw the big, black wolf looming over me. He gazed at Jacob meaningfully, and the smaller wolf growled. Sam then barked- I'd never heard any of the wolves bark before. It was loud, deafening so close to my ears. It could probably be heard all the way on the reservation.

Jacob's ears laid flat against his head, and he looked at me once more before letting me go. Relief surged through me, only to be replaced by panic as Sam took his place. This was it. Sam was going to rid of me.

"_No!_" Edward suddenly roared, and Sam's weight disappeared from me. I quickly jumped up into a crouching position, watching as Paul leaped on Edward. And then Jacob pounced on Paul. I shrieked as the four fought, twisting and writhing on the forest floor. For a moment, there was nothing but confusion and fear. I was about to possibly lose both of the men I loved most.

"Help him!" I screamed at Embry and Quil. "Help Jacob!" They looked at each other and then at Jared before padding over and threw themselves into the fight. I fell from my crouching position to my knees, openly sobbing. I moved to go help, but Alice suddenly appeared behind me, keeping me from getting any closer.

"Stay here, Bella," she said, her own voice uneven, like she was about to cry as well. I struggled against her hold, wanting to keep Edward from getting hurt, but she held me tight.

"I have to help him!" I shrieked. "They're going to hurt him! They're going to _kill_ him!" But she just pressed me closer to her. I turned my head so that I couldn't see the fray, sobbing against her sweater.

"Oh, God," I heard her whisper every now and then, and I heard a sharp cry of pain come from behind me, one that could only belong to Edward. That made me scream.

Everything got suddenly quiet. My sobs were the loudest thing in the woods, but I couldn't stop them.

"Bella, I don't want you to look, because you'll over react," Alice said, her voice stressed, but soft and tender. Oh, God. "But Edward's fine. Jacob and Sam are talking- Jacob has him pinned." Hope swelled inside, but I crushed it before I could be let down. My body still shook with tearless sobs, and she rocked me back and forth, shushing me like a mother would for her baby.

Alice suddenly stopped, and I looked up. Jasper had tapped on her shoulder, and he was holding out his arms. "Edward doesn't want her to see him," he murmured in her ear. "He knows she'll go crazy."

Oh, God. He's hurt badly. Oh, God.

Alice nodded, releasing her hold on me, and Jasper took me in his arms, picking me up and cradling me like Edward used to do when I was a human. I looked for Edward, but he had disappeared. I could see the wolves though- it was as Alice had said. Jacob had the large, black wolf pinned to the ground, just like he'd pinned me. I could see that Quil and Embry were both needed to restrain Paul, and they were all looking at each other, conversing mentally. Emmett and Esme were scanning the ground, picking up pieces of white stone.

It took me a minute to realize that they were pieces of _Edward._

That sent a new wave of sobs over me, and Jasper sent immediate relief, calming me. But the pain, the guilt, the worry... it still burned inside of me like a hot ember. I continued to receive little doses of serenity every time the worry brought the crying back. Jasper started walking, and I buried my face in his shirt, so confused and in the dark. "What's happening?" I mumbled, my voice rough.

"The wolves aren't going to bother us any more," I heard Alice say next to him. We were leaving.

I didn't ask anymore questions, letting the emotions consume me. I was faintly aware of the wind on me as Jasper ran, but I didn't realize it when we reached the Volvo, or when we arrived at the house. I could hear Edward's voice somewhere nearby, but it was muffled. As if he was behind a door.

"Bella?" I heard him say, and I blinked, sitting up. I'd been laying on the couch, I noticed, curled up in a ball. "Bella, are you nearby?"

"I'm in the living room," I said, my voice weak.

Jasper suddenly appeared at the foot of the stairs. "Do you want to talk to Edward, Bella?" he asked, holding a hand out to me. I nodded, standing up and taking it. He led me up the stairs like a child, pulling me to Carlisle's office. The door was closed, and he knocked.

"Not yet, Jasper," I heard the doctor say. "He's not done yet."

"Bella?" Edward sounded worried. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Are you?" I asked through the door, pressing my face against the wall.

"I'll be fine. I just don't want you to see me like this. I know you'll make a bigger deal out of it than it is." His voice was comforting. He really did sound sincere, but the guilt still threatened to consume me.

"What'd you do that for, you stupid idiot?" I asked, my voice breaking. "You almost got yourself killed!"

There was a commotion on the other side, followed by an exasperated sigh. The door was suddenly flung open, and he was holding me before I had a chance to look at him. "I almost lost my whole world," he whispered into my hair, and I hugged him tightly.

"Oh, God, I was so worried," I breathed, inhaling his sweet scent. "How bad is it?"

"I should be perfect in about an hour," he replied, kissing my forehead. "But I honestly don't want you to see me. You'll worry."

"Of course I'll worry," I laughed bitterly. "You couldn't have put yourself in more danger if you'd thrown yourself in front of one of the Volturi."

"Bella, I'm fine," he assured me. "Just let Carlisle finish up and I'll come find you and prove it. Okay?"

"I want to see you," I whispered into his shirt.

"Bella," he sighed.

"Please," I persisted. "I'm going to worry either way. Just let me see- assure me you'll recover soon."

He was quiet for a long minute before he stepped back and let me look up at him. I had to bite my lip to keep from sobbing again. He was literally missing a piece of his neck. There were three long, parallel scratches running down the right side of his face. His shirt was ripped, and I could see his shoulder- it was like two globs of play-doh stuck together. They stayed, but there was still as seam where the arm and the shoulder merged. There were pieces of his arms that were actually missing, chunks of flesh that should have been there.

I looked in the office and saw them sitting on Carlisle's desk. And there was blood in there- I could smell it. "It's to help the tissues heal," Edward murmured, reading my face. "To make them stitch together faster."

"Are you hurting?" I asked, choked.

"Only if you start to cry again. The emotional pain's worse than the physical, love." He pushed my hair back with his left hand- his right was badly mangled.

I nodded, hugging him once more. "Heal fast," I whispered. He kissed my forehead again and disappeared into the office, closing the door behind him.

I stayed there for a while, silently staring at the door, before Jasper spoke up. "I haven't seen you reading a lot lately," he noted casually. "Would you like to come have a look through my library? It'll get your mind off of..." He trailed off, but I knew what he meant.

"Sure," I replied dully.

He led the way, just walking a few doors down and pushing open the door. It was the office he used to study, but it was like walking into a miniaturized library. The north and east walls were covered with books. It made the guilt and worry a little better. "Borrow whatever you'd like," he said, gesturing towards the walls. "What's mine is yours."

I gave him a tiny smile, shuffling to the east wall and looking at the books on the row that was at my eye level. There was no exact organization. There was fiction and nonfiction, fantasy and modern murder mysteries, scientific theses and novels I had seen in the school library. The variety astounded me. "Wow," I mumbled, tracing my finger along the binding of _King Lear. _

Jasper disappeared, letting me browse in peace. I had to admit- it was kind of calming. I wasn't fighting my friends anymore, I wasn't praying for Jacob to let me go, I wasn't sobbing against Alice. I was in my element.

Breathing in the scent of worn pages and ink, I ran my fingertips across the wooden bookcase.

"_Take that one,"_ the smooth voice said, as soon as my hand stopped under a small, leather-backed book. I touched it, and the voice made a sound, as if he was pleased, or smiling.

Biting my lip and furrowing my eyebrows, I pulled it off the shelf. The title was Italian; I could only understand one word. "La Chiave a Filosofia del Vampiro." Opening it, I discovered that the language was one I'd never seen before. It was some strange mixture of English and Italian, like someone had only learned half of each language and blended the two.

Shaking my head, I began searching for an Italian dictionary.


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, **(Edit: Eclipse)**, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me._

_Okay, I'm pretty sure that Bella will choose to take Edward up on his marriage offer in Eclipse, so I'll leave any ideas I have for that for Ms. Meyers to write so that I do not poison her wondrous ideas with my sloppy own. Therefore, I'm not going to take that approach with this story.__**Edit: Yay! I was right for once!**_

_He's safe. He's healed. The war is over._

It was my mantra, the one thing that kept me from jumping in his lap and smothering him with kisses and such. My perfect angel was sitting on the couch next to me, one hand tapping a silent tune on my knee, the other laying across my shoulders. His eyes were focused on the television as a Discovery special on new technological advances flickered in front of his golden orbs.

I, myself, was still on the first page, trying to make sense of the book I had picked up in Jasper's library: _La Chiave a Filosofia del Vampiro_. It was hard to make out any of it- I was so distracted by my relief that Edward was okay that I kept losing my place and rereading what I'd already read in the Italian dictionary.

I looked up. Rosalie was curled up in the large leather chair, and Emmett stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders. Alice was sitting on Edward's other side, farther away than I was, of course. Her eyes matched Edward's, watching the flashing screen with a slightly interested expression. They were all quiet, their faces still and controlled. I wondered if they were all thinking about the same as me- that our family had almost been torn apart less than a few hours ago.

_He's safe. He's healed. The war is over._

Edward had changed out of his ripped and ruined shirt and into a white tank top, probably to convince me that he was absolutely fine. I used the opportunity to admire his bare arms and shoulders, pressing my cheek against his smooth skin. His eyes didn't move from the TV, but he gave a little smile and squeezed my knee.

_He's safe. He's healed. The war is over._

Feeling his confirming presence next to me, I tried to return to the book. I had decoded just a little, enough to learn nothing. The words were twisted- half English, half Italian. And the grammar made no sense- it'd be easier if I spoke the latter language. I thought about asking Alice or Edward for help, but my pride got in the way. I wanted to do it myself.

"See you later," Edward suddenly said, and I furrowed my eyebrows at him before I saw Rosalie and Emmett stand and start to move out of the room.

At that exact moment, Edward's cell phone- which was sitting on the glass coffee table- started to ring. Alice blinked once, and then said, "Wolves."

Edward, Rosalie, and I both lunged for it, but, of course, Edward was fastest. "What?" he growled into the receiver, keeping his arm tight around my shoulders. His face softened a little, but not much, at Jacob's voice.

"I need to talk to Bella," he said, his voice low and even. He was trying to be diplomatic, for my sake, but it was obviously difficult.

"I'll hand her the phone," Edward replied, but made no move to do so. It seemed that the entire living room was watching, and Rosalie's hands were crushed into tight fists.

"No," Jacob said, annoyance breaking through his voice. "I need to talk to Bella face-to-face."

"Are you kidding me?" Rosalie shrieked at the same time Edward said, "You must be joking!"

Emmett put a hand on his wife's shoulder and she relaxed a bit. I wondered if she was fighting for my sake or for the fact that the wolves had put Emmett in danger.

"I just got my arm ripped off" -I winced- "to keep your filthy paws off of her. You think I'm just going to give her right back?"

"You know I won't hurt her," Jacob snarled. "I just need to talk to her. Sam needs to talk to her."

"Oh, yes, you're really convincing me to hand her over," Edward laughed sarcastically. His hand moved from my shoulder to my face and stroked his thumb across my cheek. "She's not going."

"Let me," I whispered, curiosity surging through me. "He might want to apologize."

Edward put the phone to his shoulder, muffling the sound of Jacob's shouting. "Bella, no. I love you, and I know you care about them, but I'm not going to risk your life with those mutts again."

"Hey!" Jacob's voice yelled from the phone. "Are you even listening to me, leech?"

"Yes," Edward said, cool and calm. "And so is Bella- I'm sure she doesn't appreciate your tone."

"Hah," Jacob scoffed. "She's trying to get you to let her go, isn't she?" Ugh. He knew me to well. At least it might work in my advantage. "You can't stop her from going where she wants to, you know. Not now."

"Watch me," Edward hissed. Jacob had struck a nerve.

"No," I said. Pulling away from him- not without difficulty- I stood up. "I want to go."

"I'm sorry, maybe you missed the huge wolf pinning you to the forest floor," he snapped. "Just to refresh your memory: that was Jacob." His eyes were dark. "I'm sorry, Bella, but I'm not going to let that happen again."

"And to refresh _your_ memory: you don't have to _let_ me do anything!" I felt like a silly teenage human all over again. He was slipping right back into his overprotective, controlling self. "You can disagree all you want, but in the end, I get to make the choice!"

I heard laughing from the phone. "She's chewing you out, now, isn't she?"

I snatched the phone from Edward's hand, something my inhuman body was able to do with satisfaction. "I'll meet you at the boundary line," I spat and hung up. He had begun to say something, but was cut off by the phone.

"Bella, you're crazy," Rosalie muttered, turning back around and disappearing with Emmett.

Edward stared at me with a furious, painful gaze for a long time before saying through his teeth, "I wish you hadn't done that."

"I know," I said, dropping the book on the coffee table and folding my arms over my chest. "And I appreciate that you're worried about my safety, but you're going to have to learn that I'm not a pliable little human anymore. You can't keep me from where I want to go by taking apart my car or holding me to the couch."

"Well, then, I'm coming with you," he announced, standing up and brushing invisible dust off of his lap.

"No, you're not," I laughed- out of incredulity, not humor.

"You two have such a bipolar relationship," Alice groaned, the only one who had kept her eyes on the TV throughout the entire exchange. "Cuddling on the couch one second, arguing like exes the next."

"I'm looking out for Bella's well-being," he told her matter-of-factly, as if I wasn't standing right there. "She seems to insist on plunging herself into every dangerous situation she comes across."

"And I'm just trying to tell Edward that he needs to let me go," I explained patiently. "He seems to think that I'm still weak and completely defenseless."

"When it comes to that dog, you are!" The anger slipped back into his voice. "And even if he attacked you, you'd never have the nerve to hurt him back."

I growled with frustration. Of course I wouldn't! Jacob had once been my best friend! "I'll be back soon," I snarled.

"Wait!" he suddenly shouted, when I was reaching for the handle to the front door. "At least..." His face had fallen with defeat, now dark with worry. "At least take Jasper with you,"

The blond vampire appeared at the foot of the stairs.

I pursed my lips for a second, then nodded. I may have been too-trusting, but I wasn't stupid. If any of the wolves- I didn't know how many I would be meeting with- got too upset, it'd be handy to have Jasper's calming ability around.

Edward's eyes closed with relief. "Thank you," he sighed. "And thank you for offering, Jasper. I'll feel much better if she's with you."

I rolled my eyes, turning back towards the door. Jasper was at my side in half a second, wishing Alice farewell. With a petty wave over my shoulder to Edward, I opened the door and stepped back out into the wet day. I looked up at the threatening gray sky, but Jasper- closing the door behind himself- had thought to grab our coats by the door. He handed mine out, and I wordlessly took his offering.

We ran silently through the forest, letting our feet take us across the paths we already knew so well. I hated fighting with Edward- he always made me feel like a child. Quietly brooding, I let Jasper lead, putting about a quarter of a mile between us. It wasn't a long run- he'd arrive there first.

It was completely impossible for Edward to accept that I could take care of myself. He still saw me as the human girl he fell in love with- it was hard for him to accept that I had changed and no longer needed him.

Wait- that was a lie. I needed him in my life. Needed him more than blood. But I didn't need his constant protection, his ever-watchful eye.

But the problem was that even though I _had_ changed, I was still too weak. He still had to be my superman, always swooping in at the last minute to save me. I scowled. Why couldn't I ever get anything done my way? Even when I tried to help them chase off the wolves, I ended up the damsel in distress again.

The trees became more sparse, and I saw Jasper standing with Jacob and Sam not too far away. I sped up into a sprint and stopped next to Jasper's side- I wasn't even out of breath. Jasper gave me a calm smile, and Jacob grinned at me. Sam was glaring at the ground.

"I figured your loverboy would have you chained to his wrist if you came," Jacob taunted, folding his arms over his chest with smile. But he was withdrawn, wearing that stupid mask he always seemed to wear when he was on wolf business.

"Be nice," I warned him. "I came to talk, not so you could harass Edward."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. We just wanted to inform you of how things are going to run around here now." He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Sam, who hadn't said a word. It was strange to see him in a state of such submission. He usually stood with pride and focus. No longer.

"Okay..." I awkwardly shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans. The tension was almost painful- Jasper gave us a bit of ease.

"Uh..." Jacob looked at Jasper uncomfortably, then glanced at the ground. "Sam and I have come to an agreement. You guys have until September-" he abruptly cut off, glowering at something I couldn't see on the horizon. He was quiet for a moment and then looked back at me. "You guys have until September fourteenth to leave. I swear that none of us will come near you or your... family."

I suddenly realized how hard this was for him. He was finally letting me go.

Jasper muffled a sharp noise as my wave of emotions hit him. I tore my eyes away from Jacob to give him an apologetic glance, but I was too distracted with relief. Relief, regret, appreciation, misery... My feelings were suddenly thrown into a blender. I couldn't breathe.

Jasper put his hand on my back, and a strange peace coursed through my veins. "That's very gracious of you," he told Jacob. "Actually, we were wondering about how the hierarchy of the pack stands now."

Sam looked up at that. "I'm still in charge," he said calmly. "That hasn't changed at all." His eyes moved to me, and something flashed in his fathomless irises. Regret, maybe?

"Ah," Jasper said, obviously trying to hide the disapproval or disappointment in his voice. "Is there anything else that needs to be discussed? Or can we finish for this afternoon? Because I'm sure that my wife is anxious to hear what's going on." He wisely didn't bring up Edward's anxiety, probably knowing how that would devastate Jacob completely.

"Actually there's just one thing left to discuss, and it's not for me to talk about." Jacob glanced at Sam, who nodded.

"Bella, may I speak to you alone?" His expression was calm, but his face was pained and tight.

I looked out of the corner of my eye for Jasper's approval. I would have gone with Sam anyway, but I wanted a heads-up from Jasper if the werewolf was planning any hostility. He nodded at me, encouraging me along. Edward would probably be furious with him later, but he obviously didn't care.

"Sure, Sam," I said, and he turned sideways, inviting me to walk next to him. I did so, and we slowly walked away from Jake and Jasper. We moved in silence, neither speaking nor looking at each other. My head was still whirling from Jacob's final decision, and I was trying to organize my thoughts before Sam introduced anymore.

Soon enough, we were on first beach. He stopped next to me and motioned to a large, felled tree trunk that was nestled deep in the sand, not unlike the one Jacob and I had sat on so long ago. I took my seat, smoothing my hands over my blue jeans, and looked up at him. He didn't sit.

"Bella," he began, clearing his throat. "Has Jacob ever told you my story?"

"Um," I shrugged. "A little. You were alone when it happened. The elders found out about it and helped you. Emily tried to help you, but you got mad and accidentally..." I let my lips slow to a stop, remembering the pretty girl's scarred face.

He winced, but then smiled faintly. It was then that I noticed the chain he kept around his neck. It was long, wrapped three times around his neck, and it still came halfway down his chest. There was a ring on his. Just like there was a ring on mine. His was simple, a thin gold band. Looking at his engagement ring, I traced the shape of my own beneath my t-shirt.

"Yes, that's the story of how I became a werewolf. Did he ever tell you how I met Emily?"

I shook my head, and he folded his arms over his chest, pacing back and forth in front of me. "You know who Leah Clearwater is, right?"

I nodded, thinking of the beautiful girl, just a year older than me. "Yeah, she's Harry's daughter."

"Yes," he said, and something flickered across his face. Not something malevolent, necessarily, but something that he obviously wasn't telling me. "Well, if you had asked me about her just a couple years ago, I would have told you that I was going to marry that girl."

I nearly fell onto the sand. My mind flew back to earlier in the forest, when Edward had said something about Jacob being like Leah. I had been so confused then- was this what he was trying to tell me?

"But you met Emily, right?" I asked. It was so strange to imagine him with anybody but the sweet, mother-like girl. The way they were together was like magic. Like Esme and Carlisle or Alice and Jasper.

He winced. "Yes. Leah's cousin, Emily came down for a visit one day after my changing."

"Her cousin?" I blurted, unthinking.

He gave me a silencing look, and continued. "I can't explain it, Bella," he sighed. "The minute I saw Emily, everything tilted. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and the sound of her voice was like a choir."

I blushed, much like I had the first day I saw them together in her kitchen. It was too intimate, too sweet. "But you loved Leah."

"I did," he said, his voice suddenly dark. "And if she hadn't been the one introducing Emily to me, I can't say that I wouldn't have kissed her then and there. But she was," His pacing stopped, and he looked out at the ocean. "I had never felt so happy. Or more miserable. My heart was broken and mended every time I saw them together.

"I tried to forget her. Emily, I mean. I tried to tell myself that Leah had stood by me when I kept my secrets from her. I would wake up some mornings, Leah just a few inches away from me, and try to convince myself that it was how I wanted to wake up every day for the rest of my life."

"So, what happened?" I breathed, still not seeing the resemblance in my story and his.

"I guess you know what happened. I was forced to break up with Leah. I couldn't be without Emily- it was painful, emotionally and physically. I was miserable, and with me so distant, so was Leah."

He finally sat down next to me. "Do you see where I'm going with this?" he asked me, leaning over his knees and folding his hands together.

I shook my head regretfully. "Not really."

He sighed, looking down at the pale sand. "I hated myself for hurting Leah- hate myself to this day. I love her still, I do. Just not the same way I love Emily. Not with the same passion... the finality."

"And when I hurt Jacob the same way, you had flashbacks," I murmured, finally understanding. Jacob was the sun on a cloudy day, but Edward was my entire sky.

Sam nodded. "Exactly. I hated you so much. Just like how I hated myself the day I told Leah. And when Jacob had you pinned today, I told him that you deserved it. I took out all my hatred for myself and for everything that happened with Leah and took it all out on you."

"I get it," I said, relating. "I totally understand how you feel."

"Yes, maybe, but you didn't order your friends to kill me, now did you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I didn't know," I countered.

He was silent for a moment, staring out at the ocean. When he spoke again, he was thoughtful. "If you had known, would you have acted like I did?"

I thought back. Back to when Jacob asked me to dance at the prom. Back to his face when I left for Italy with Alice. Back to his shock when I said what I said after he turned the motorcycles over to Charlie.

"Maybe," I said, nodding. It was hard to admit, but it was true. "I probably wouldn't have had you killed, but I definitely would have thought differently of you."

"And I do apologize," he murmured, turning his gaze back to the ocean. "I'm glad that Jacob isn't like Leah. I'm glad he convinced me to back off. He doesn't hate you for what happened."

"I wish he would," I whispered, and we were both silent. An amiable quiet passed between us as we contemplated our lives. I was worried that if anything else would happen today, I would pass out from the dizziness that my scrambled thoughts gave me.

"Come on," he murmured after a long time, raising from his sitting position. "It's going to get dark soon, and I'm sure that Edward will want you back." He said the name with respect- the first time a wolf had ever said it so.

I snorted, standing up next to him. "He's probably already paced a hole in the living room carpet."

Sam held his arm out, letting me lead the way back to where Jasper and Jacob were still quietly standing. "It's about time!" the younger wolf yelled when we appeared at the edge of the forest. "We were beginning to wonder if we were going to have to come save Bella again."

I feared his joke would offend Sam, but he shook his head. "No, we were just talking."

"In that case, I'm going to go ahead and go," Jasper said, giving Sam and Jacob a nod before disappearing in the forest.

"And Emily's probably waiting up for me," Sam sighed. "Good luck, Bella." He stalked off in the other direction, and I watched him with a heavy heart as he left.

"So, he told you everything?" Jacob asked, shoving his hands in his back pocket.

I looked up at him- Lord, he was tall!- and nodded. "Yes. He did."

"So." He pushed a piece of my hair away from my face- the heat of his touch was unbearable- I unthinkingly flinched away. "I'm sorry for everything that happened today."

"Me too," I murmured, looking down at my shoes. I pondered telling him about the wedding, but then decided against it. I'd already broken his heart multiple times. There was no use in tearing it apart again.

"I'll see you around, Bella." He whispered, and I nodded.

"I'll miss you," I said, hating having to part with him, wondering if it would be the last time. Before I could turn around to leave, he reached out and pulled me to him. His hug was too warm, and the smell burned my nostrils, but I felt almost as comfortable there as I did in Edward's arms. Almost.

"I love you," he said, kissing my forehead.

"I love you too, Jake," I whispered. "I just wish it was enough."

His breath was sharp, and he slowly let me go. "It'll have to be." And with that, he turned and walked away, his pace so quick that he disappeared in no time. But not before I recognized the stiff, printed envelope of my wedding invitation in his back pocket. Jasper.


	12. Chapter 12

**Before you start reading!! I want to inform everybody that I _have_ read Breaking Dawn, and I _do_ know how the series ends. I understand that there's going to be some parts in this chapter and in the later chapters that don't match the books, but as I already have the story line laid out, it's going to continue as planned. Ms. Meyer and I had some of the same ideas, and some of our ideas are a lot different. So, please, don't point out that something "wouldn't happen" or "isn't supposed to happen." I know. Thank you.**

"Jasper Whitlock Hale, I'm going to kill you!"

Rosalie's car was screeching out of the garage when I arrived back to the house, livid and ranting. I threw open the front door, and slammed it behind me- a series of tiny cracks traced from the door frame.

I instantly spotted Esme in the living room. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and she was wearing sweats and a t-shirt. She was holding a piece of cloth in one hand, a needle in the other. "Goodness, Bella, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly, her pretty eyebrows furrowing.

"Where's Jasper?" I muttered through my teeth, my hands balled into fists.

She looked over her shoulder, towards the garage door. "He just grabbed Alice and flew out of here. Said something about a date."

I closed my eyes and released a deep breath through my nose. He knew I didn't want Jacob at that wedding. He knew I didn't want to hurt him again, and he did it for me. What was he _thinking_?

Edward suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. "Bella, you're back." He smiled at me, gliding down the stairs and towards me, but I stepped back.

"Did you tell Jasper to give Jacob that wedding invitation?" I accused, pushing away his extended hand.

His face instantly fell. He knew what I was talking about immediately. "No. I didn't." He shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression solemn and unreadable.

"But you knew about it, didn't you?"

"Yes."

My scowl fell deeper, and I crossed my arms over my chest. "And you didn't tell him not to, did you?"

"No."

"God!" I threw my hands up, sighing exasperatedly. "You know how I feel about that! You know I didn't want to tell him about the wedding- he's already hurt enough!"

"I'll leave you two alone," Esme murmured, escaping to her's and Carlisle's bedroom. I watched her go, listening for Edward's reply.

When he spoke, after Esme closed the door, his voice was calm and soft. "Don't you think he would have been more hurt if you didn't even give him the opportunity to choose for himself whether he wants to come or not? If he did want to go and felt like he'd be crashing the wedding? Think you don't want him there?"

"Why would I want him there?" I shouted. "Why would I want the one guy who loves me as much as you to see me get married to somebody else?" Pulling off my coat and throwing it over the back of the couch, I brushed past him to get to the stairs.

"Bella, can't you see my side?" He begged, following me upstairs to my room.

"What, that you're being spiteful?" I yelled over my shoulder. "You've already won me- why do you have to torture him like that?" As soon as I reached my door, I pettily slammed the door in his face. He didn't bother trying to open it, but he still spoke through the door.

"First of all, you are not a prize to be won. Secondly, Jasper and I didn't do anything to torture him. If I were him, I'd want the choice, too." His voice was still calm and reasonable, which made me all the more angry.

"Even so," I hissed through the door. "I don't want to go through with this damned wedding in the first place, and now I've got to deal with Jacob and whoever else he brings too!"

Edward was silent, and my anger instantly withered with guilt. I opened my mouth to apologize, but I couldn't think of anything to say. Sighing, I slumped against the door and pressed my forehead to the smooth wood.

"Edward, I..." I paused, wondering if he was even still there. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

He was quiet again for a long time, and I had begun to move away when he murmured, "Bella, you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I..." I groaned, leaning against the door again. "Edward, I love you. I want to be with you."

"But you don't want to marry me," he qualified. His voice was even- I couldn't make anything of it.

"Edward you know how I feel about getting married." The anger was creeping back, frustration settling in my chest like a weight. We'd been over this countless times. Why did he have to make me feel so bad about this? Why did it feel like, even though the option was mine, I had no say at all in the matter?

"I do. I don't understand it, but I'll respect it."

"What do you mean?" I asked, folding my arms over my stomach.

"If you don't want to do the wedding, we can call it off. I'll explain everything to Alice and your mother, if that's what's worrying you."

"No!" I nearly shouted, still through the door. He was being intolerable. "I want to do the wedding. It's practical."

"But do you want it?"

No, I wanted to say. I'd rather live in sin the rest of my life. At least that was relatively painless. But for everybody's sake, I swallowed my refusal. "Yes, Edward, I want it."

He was quiet again, and I opened the door, pressing my face into his chest and wrapping my arms around his waist. A comfortable heat bloomed inside my stomach, and I sighed into his shirt. His arms tightened around me, and he kissed my hair.

"Are you going to kill Jasper still?" he asked after a moment, his breath tickling my forehead.

"Probably not," I admitted. "But he's going to get nice long chewing out."

He chuckled, gently rubbing my back. "Just don't be too hard on him," he laughed.

"No promises."

When Alice and Jasper got home later that night, my soon-to-be sister-in-law instantly grabbed me and pulled me into her room. She probably saw her husband's fate and decided to protect him. I noticed the shopping bags in her hand immediately and folded my arms over my chest in defiance. "I'm not in the mood to play dress-up tonight, Alice."

"It's just shoes," she informed me, sitting me down on the bed and pulling a few boxes out of her bags. "For the wedding."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't object. Let her have her fun.

"Okay," She pulled out the first pair. "These are pretty basic: off-white pumps, round toe, one and a half-inch heel. They'll be pretty comfortable, and I figured they'd fit your simplistic style."

I nodded, and she set them to the side, opening the second box.

"Now, these... I didn't know if you'd like them- they're more like what Rosalie would wear." And she was honest. They were cream-colored knee-high boots, with silk laces traced from toe to top. My mind flashed an image of me tripping, but I remembered my vampiric grace with a relieved sigh. Setting the boots next to the first pair of shoes, she reached for the third box.

"Okay, now these are just some I thought you'd like." I watched as she reached inside, and her fingers tangled in satin ribbons. She let the box fall from her lap as she pulled the shoes out. They were normal white heels, and the ribbons would wrap along my calf.

"I like those," I said tonelessly and stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to your husband."

"Wait!" she said, putting her hands out to stop me. "What do you think we should do with your hair?" Reaching out a hand, she started pulling my hair this way and that, talking to herself about different styles.

"Alice, stop. Quit protecting him." I jerked away from her hands, watching her tiny face fall. "He had no right to give Jacob that invitation."

"You're right," she sighed, and I stopped halfway towards the door.

"Wait. What?" I was confused. Did she want Jacob to come or not? Surely she would have seen an invitation disappear, or maybe even the entire wedding.

"You're right, Bella," she said, folding her arms in front of her. "He had no right to give the wolves the invitation."

"So, why are you stopping me?" I asked, angry and confused and hurt.

"Because I had a vision. You yelled and then ran off and hurt somebody." Her voice was tiny, worried. She held her hands out in front of her like a sign of surrender. "It's not worth it, Bella."

"Hurt somebody," I repeated. When she nodded, I qualified: "A human?" She nodded a second time.

"It's not so terrible as all that," the smooth voice suddenly whispered in my ear. "Humans get hurt every day."

My mouth fell into a deep scowl, and I looked at myself in the mirror of her vanity. My fingers reached up to trace the shape of my black eyes. _"Shut up,"_ I thought to the voice. _"How would you feel if someone you loved was killed- or worse- turned into a vampire?"_

"Trust me, dear one," his voice was fading, as if he was suddenly exhausted. "I _know_ how it feels." And then he was gone. Not that he wasn't speaking anymore- he was just gone, like a candle blown out.

I put a hand to my forehead and walked back to the bed, falling onto it. "Great. I can't even make my opinions known without killing somebody off."

Alice sat down prettily next to me, ramrod straight and with her hands folded over her lap. "It's not that, Bella," she said, looking at me sympathetically. "You're still very new to our world. You're able to tolerate humans when you're around them and focused, but if you're upset with Jasper or Edward, you know you won't be thinking straight."

I pinched the bridge of my nose- and immediately quit when I realized that I was turning into Edward- sighing. "I know, I know."

"It'll get better," she promised, lying back so we were laying side-by-side. "It sucks now, but just wait- in a few years, the Volturi will be off our backs, Charlie will have come around, you and Edward will be married-"

I groaned. She didn't say any more and we sat in amiable silence together. This was supposed to be the time where everything was perfect, the time when I had Edward and forever to be with him. I had the sudden urge to be near him.

"We'll talk later," I told Alice and stood. She must have seen that I didn't intend on shouting at Jasper, because she waved me off with a sigh.

I glided down the stairs, finding Edward and Jasper on the couch, both with novels in hands. They looked up at me at the exact moment, and Jasper eyed the front door carefully. As I got closer, though, he obviously felt that my anger had dissipated and relaxed. Instead, he moved over to the big leather chair, letting me have the spot next to Edward.

I sat down, looping my arms through his, and leaned my head on his shoulder. With a deep inhale of his scent, I was at peace again, my frustrations locked behind a heavy door.

"Feeling better?" He asked, kissing my forehead.

"A little," I sighed, closing my eyes as Jasper's artificial peace flowed through me. "This helps."

"Bella," Jasper said, clearing his throat before speaking. "I know you're upset with me about Jacob and the invitation-"

"You bet I am," I growled, remembering what Alice had just told me.

"But you have to understand. Jacob already knew about the wedding. Charlie ranted to Billy, Billy told Jacob."

Pain echoed through my chest, where that very first stab in the forest had torn through me. Why did that surprise me? Old gossips, those two men were. It should have been obvious that he would have found out sooner or later.

"I still didn't want him to feel obliged," I murmured, burying my face in Edward's shirt. He pushed my hair out of my face, the strands tickling my cheek, and I sighed. What was done was done. It was Jacob's choice. I wasn't responsible for him anymore.


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, **(Edit: Eclipse)**, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me._

I had a heart again. I could feel it behind my ribcage, warm and thumping out a panicked rhythm. And I was having a hard time keeping my breathing even. After so long of not needing oxygen, I just couldn't get the pattern slow and repetitive. Fear was pooled in my stomach, and something burned the back of my throat. Not venom. Bile.

My eyes were clamped shut, and I couldn't hear anything but the faint breathing of someone else with me. I didn't dare look, though. I was too afraid to find that Edward had been right all along, that I had died and somehow ended up in hell. But I don't remember being attacked. I don't remember when I first felt my heart beat anew. One moment, the vision was swirling as it rarely did these days, and then there was screaming. The two voices were arguing at the top of their lungs, but I only caught pieces of what they were saying.

"_Leave her be!" _the deep voice roared. _"She is not the one you want!"_

"_You're wrong! She was mine from the first moment I saw her!"_

The dizziness made my body roll, like a wave of nausea, and I called out for Edward. He was somewhere in the forest with me, hunting, when my eyesight suddenly started spinning. "Edward!" I screeched again. "Alice! Somebody!" Venom was pooling in the back of my throat, and I gagged.

"_You _will_ leave her alone!" _The deep voice had shouted, and I flinched away from the screaming.

"_And what will you do to stop me?" _Smooth hissed. _"You can't keep spoon-feeding her pieces of her story for eternity! She'll put it together and come back to me soon enough."_

"_And what will you do if she doesn't? Will you take her by force?"_

Where was Edward? I could hear his footsteps, far away, getting closer with each second, but my vision was dimming and my hearing fading. "Bella!" he shouted. "I'm coming, Bella!"

"_I will do whatever I must to put things right," _the smooth one said solemnly, and my eyes closed.

A whimper escaped my too-dry throat, and I heard a shifting. Balling up as tightly as I could, I tried to concentrate on keeping my breathing even. Where was I? Where was my family? Was I even alive? I was lying on something firm, a floor, but it had no temperature. It was neither hot nor cold, just a solid presence beneath me. There was no smell or taste to the air either. It was completely sterile here, nothing to give away my location.

The shifting noise grew louder, and I was aware that something was settling just behind me. More tears- actual tears- spilled from my eyes and wet my cheeks as I felt something touch me, brush my hair away from my face.

"Shh," it whispered, and I faintly recognized the deep voice. I wanted to turn around and look, but my body, still curled tightly around itself, refused to move. "It's alright, Bella. He can't hold you here for long."

My resisted sob came out as a high keening, and my jaw shook, making my teeth rattle against each other. How long_ had_ I been here? Minutes? Hours? Days? It seemed timeless in this place.

I opened my sore, swollen eyes. I didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't what I found. Because there wasn't anything. There was nothing. Not darkness or light or black or white. Not a field or a city or a room or a cave. There was just absence. There didn't even seem to be a floor. The feeling was indescribable and gave me a twinge of vertigo. I didn't _feel_ like I was suspended in the air, but there was nothing to hold me in place.

My breathing picked up, became hysterical. The image of my hand resting in front of my face shimmered.

"It's okay, Bella, it's okay!" the presence coaxed anxiously. "You're fine, you're safe."

"Where am I?" I croaked, my voice high and panicked. "Where am I?"

"You're wherever you want to be," he assured me. "Just imagine."

I tried to make myself see someplace. Anyplace. I just wanted to make this nothingness disappear. "I can't do it," I coughed on a sob.

"Shh," he whispered again. A pale, masculine hand appeared in my line of vision, pointing. "Just look."

I watched with wide, terrified eyes as the nothingness moved, twisted, created shapes and became somethingness. Mine and Edward's meadow formed in front of me. It was a sunny day, not the rainy gloom it had been just moments- hours days weeks- ago, and I could hear the stream faintly babbling in the distance. My body was suddenly cushioned by soft, green grass.

And best, Edward was stretched out just a few feet away from me, his eyes closed and his arms stretched out behind his head. The sunlight was reflecting off of his faceted skin, and I could feel the rainbows spraying across my arms and face. He looked so beautiful, like he was sleeping, with his thick eyelashes fanned across the height of his cheekbones and his perfect pink lips slightly parted.

"Edward," I cried softly, my body automatically unfurling itself.

"It's not really him," the presence said regretfully. "It's just an illusion. I wish I could offer more."

I ignored him, crawling over to the Greek god before me. His eyes fluttered open and focused on me, and he smiled sleepily. Stretching out his arm, he beckoned to me and pulled me to his side. I curled up in the crook of his shoulder, hiding my face in his flannel shirt. Inhaling deeply, I noticed with a frown that I could not smell the delicious scent that was always wrapped around him.

"Can I talk to him?" I whispered, still not looking at the presence. If he was my enemy, the reason I couldn't be normal, I didn't want to find his face to be a horrid, terrifying one. Or worse, a pleasant one.

"Of course. But he'll only respond as you wish." He replied sighing and fading away again. I wondered where he went when he wasn't sitting next to me. For a moment, I toyed with the notion of looking to see if he was still watching, but I was too wrapped up in this moment.

"I love you, Edward," I murmured. His arm was warm around me, and the sunshine blazed above us like a god, begging for attention.

"I love you, too, silly Bella." He chuckled. He was happy, truly happy with me.

"I'm scared."

"Don't be. I'll protect you. From anything," Edward assured me. "Nothing will ever tear us apart."

"But what if I don't want to be protected?" I frowned. "What if I'm sick of being the damsel in distress? _I_ want to rescue me for once."

"Love, why are you ashamed of being rescued?" He rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his arm and tracing patterns on my cheek with his other hand.

"Because I hate being the center of attention. I hate wondering if Carlisle or Rosalie or Jasper is sick of hearing about how stupid Bella's landed herself in trouble again. Why me? Why always me?"

"Don't you remember?" he murmured with a faint smile. "Your time was up from the moment you met me. I'm fighting fate to keep you alive. Does that ring a bell?"

I scowled. "I hate that. I just want to be with you, minus the fighting fate part."

"Bella..." He sighed, moving his hand to pushing my hair back, brushing his thumb across my temple. "Do you ever think that I _like _saving you?"

My face must have looked puzzled, because he continued.

"Not that I like your constant magnetism for danger. But when I first met you, when I first fell in love with you, your safety was the only thing keeping me in Forks. It was my excuse to stay with you. And, well, I suppose I've fallen into a habit. Do you not realize that after all this time, I still don't believe that I deserve you?"

"That's stupid," I breathed, feeling my heart pound against my chest, so real, so alive. Curious, I slid my hand to his chest. I didn't feel it at first. _Please be there, _I thought, and there was a sudden thump against my hand. It was pure and steady and even, and Edward didn't even seem to notice.

"I know _you_ think that," he told me, picking up my hand and kissing my fingertips. "But it's still so hard for me to believe that someone so beautiful and good could belong with me. Rescuing and protecting you gives me a little piece of redemption. Makes up for a little of all the evil I've done." Edward gave me a sheepish smile, his chaotic hair shining in the sunlight. He was the picture of perfection, and he loved me.

_Kiss me, please,_ I thought, and he did. He didn't hesitate or try to measure my reaction first. He captured my lips with his and pressed me into the grass. It was as soft as a fleece blanket.

As soon as the thought had entered my mind, half a dozen blankets were stretched out beneath us, overlapping and creating a mattress of fleece. I grinned against his lips, and he pressed against me harder, his hand tracing the shape of my waist and slipping beneath my t-shirt to touch the skin just above the waistline of my jeans.

_Off, _I thought with glee, and his flannel shirt was gone, his soft, warm skin glittering like a million diamonds. His mouth traced down my neck the moment I wished it, and his kisses left trails of fire. Whatever bare skin the hand beneath my shirt found felt as if it was receiving an electric shock. It was just like pain, this pleasure.

But then I remembered what the deep voice had said: "He'll only respond as you wish."

This wasn't Edward, the vampire who loved and respected me. This was an illusion, a mirage of what I wanted. And I was still in the nothingness, trapped in my own imagination. The sky above me twitched, flickering between ominous clouds and the sunshine. These weren't Edward's thoughts and words, they were mine, created to comfort me in my guilt. But none of this was what I wanted.

I didn't want someone who gave into my every want and need. I wanted Edward, with his overprotective, moody personality.

"We can't," the mirage suddenly said, pushing away from me.

"No!" I objected, but smiled all the same, pulling him back toward me. The places he'd kissed ached, like bruises.

"I don't think we should," he said, but the hungry look in his eyes didn't change.

I laughed. Threw my head back and laughed. Pushing him over, I rolled on top of him and tangled my fingers in his hair. He wasn't Edward. Not really. But for now, he was just what I wanted. I pushed my mouth against his, slipping my tongue between his lips. He growled playfully, and excitement danced in my belly.

My intuition suddenly twitched, and I felt the presence there again. "Go away, I'm having fun," I laughed, but he didn't reply. I suddenly felt strange, and Edward looked up at me confusedly.

The smooth voice abruptly roared from behind me, "_Mine!!_"

o0o.o0o

I blinked, and when I looked around, I was disoriented. I wasn't wherever I had just been. These surroundings were too familiar, and my senses were attacking me from every direction.

I could smell gasoline from the highway, the sap in the trees, the anticipation of rain in the air, a deer about a half a mile away, and the sweet smell of my family. The unpaved driveway of my home snaked before me, and I could feel the gravel under my shoes...

Knee-high leather boots?

Gasping, I looked down at myself. A denim miniskirt was sitting low on my hips, and a purple corset substituted the yellow t-shirt I distinctly remembering putting on that morning. It bared my shoulders and my bellybutton. I felt naked, exposed.

Noticing all of this took an eighty-sixth of a second.

"Edward," I breathed, knowing he could hear me inside the house, and I took off, sprinting towards the door. He met me halfway and was holding me so tight I couldn't breathe, not that I wanted or needed to.

"Bella!" He gasped, covering me with kisses. His lips were everywhere- my hair, my cheeks, my lips, my forehead. "Bella, where have you been? I've been so worried!"

It didn't take but a second for the rest of my family to crowd around me, Esme and Alice touching my arms and rubbing my back and trying to pry me away from Edward. They were throwing questions at me, and though I acknowledged all of them, I didn't want to let go of the person in my arms. I hugged him tightly, burying my face in his shirt and breathing in the smell of him deeply.

"How long?" I asked between gulps of his scent. "How long have I been gone?"

"Two days," he groaned, his eyes dark with worry. He seemed to have aged in the time I was trapped, but I knew that was impossible. "Where did you go?"

"I don't know," I sobbed. "I don't know. I was feeling dizzy and disoriented, like I usually do before I faint, but- but when I woke up, I was just at the edge of the driveway dressed like this."

They all took in my apparel then, and I heard Emmett whistle low. The sound was followed by a painful sounding smack.

"Bella, what are you _wearing_?" Alice groaned, trying once more to pull me away from Edward's tight grip.

I suddenly had a rush of panic. "What color are my eyes?" I whispered frantically.

"Gold," Esme assured me, patting my bare shoulder, and relief pierced through me. "They're gold, dear, you're fine."

"Let's get in the house," I heard Carlisle say behind me. "Jasper?"

Seconds later, I stopped shaking, and calm pulsed through my veins. Edward shifted so I could walk, but didn't dare let go of me. I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror as we moved into the living room, and my hair was teased high, into curls. I didn't need make-up, of course, but my eyes looked darker, as if I was wearing eyeshadow.

"I want to change," I whispered to Edward. I wanted out of these ridiculous clothes, and I wanted to mess up my hair.

He nodded to me. "We'll be back in a moment," he told the family, and we raced upstairs. Instead of darting into my room, like he expected me to, I blurred into his. He didn't object as I went straight for his drawers, picking out a pair of sweatpants with an elastic waist band and a soft, cotton t-shirt. I quickly unlaced the boots and kicked them off. I didn't know if Edward was watching, and I didn't really care, as I pulled off the skirt- exposing my legs and a racy, black thong- and stepped into the sweatpants. I did turn around when I had to unlace the corset, barely managing not to get tangled up, and slid it over my head.

I felt more comfortable when I was in his clothes. I didn't like the skirt and the corset. When I looked up at Edward, he was glaring at me. I blinked, and he stood up, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me to him. I expected him to kiss me, but he buried his nose deep in my hair and inhaled. When I saw his face again, it was dark. Furious.

He snatched the clothes off the floor and stormed out of the room and down the stairs. I followed, shocked. Was he angry with _me_? Did he not believe me?

"Smell these," he demanded, holding the garments out for Carlisle. His expression was livid, and his free hand was fisted so tightly it could have crushed diamonds. Trying not to be noticed, I flicked some of my hair over my shoulder and sniffed it. He was right- the scent was vaguely familiar, but not mine.

The blond father-figure calmly picked up the corset, holding it to his nose and taking a whiff. His face flashed with shock and then darkened as well.

"Somebody explain what's going on?" Alice groaned. "I feel so useless."

Edward growled. The word was said on a snarl: "Dominik."

I swallowed, and the venom was cold as it slid down my throat.

"Do you think..." Esme began, wringing her hands worriedly. "Do you think that he has something to do with these fainting spells of hers?"

"I don't doubt it," Edward muttered.

"You don't think-" Emmett suddenly cut off and looked me up and down. "You don't think he _did_ anything to her, do you?"

Edward roared, but it was a second too late. I looked up and noticed he wasn't snarling at Emmett, but at Rosalie. "That's a _lie_!" he shouted at her.

She looked up from her seat on the leather couch and pursed her lips. "It was just a stray thought, Edward, I didn't mean anything by it. I wasn't accusing Bella of anything."

Realization slapped me. She thought I did it. She thought I ran away and met with Dominik.

"Well, you're wrong," Edward hissed. "So, keep your stray thoughts to yourself."

Alice chirped in hesitantly. "She doesn't smell like anything happened. No body fluids."

If I was human, my face would be bright red. Jasper tried to sooth my embarrassment, but the awkward feeling did not fade. Edward moved to me in two long strides and hugged me tight again. "And you don't remember _anything?_"

"No," I whispered, not wanting to tell him about what I _did _remember. I didn't want to make him feel bad, or obligated... "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he murmured, but the frustration in his tone was apparent. He kissed the top of my head again. "Alice, would you mind looking for Dominik for me and keeping tabs on him?"

She made a hesitant noise, but nodded. "I'll try, but he's never very clear. I think that's why I can't see Bella when she's unconscious. Something to do with his ability, maybe."

I heard Edward's growl and felt it reverberate through his chest as well. A curl of my hair fell in front of my face, and we reached up to push it away at the same time.

A collective gasp shot through the room, and Edward tensed, his hand on my waist gripping me a bit too tightly.

"What the hell," Rosalie snarled. "Is that?"

I was confused. I looked up at Edward and caught his gaze- he was glowering at my raised left hand... Where a very familiar ring was perched on my third finger. The band was gold and thin, and the stones: a tiny white opal nestled in a bed of onyx. Katharine's engagement ring.

My right hand flew to my neck. My necklace was gone. Edward's ring was gone.

My knees buckled, and I fell against him. "I'm sorry," I breathed. "I'm so, so sorry." My brain was like a scratched record. I couldn't move from that one phrase, I could only repeat it over and over again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He wasn't yelling at me, like I expected him too. He gently shifted me to Esme's arms, but his expression was black, and his jaw was tight. His hands removed the ring and pocketed it, and with that, he flew out of the house and away from me.

My apologies continued even after I was gone, growing more frantic and panicked by the minute. Esme cradled me in her arms and pulled me onto the couch, trying to comfort me and assure me that it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't stop the words. They turned into sobs, my remorse wrapping around every syllable.

Night fell, and Edward didn't return. I stayed wrapped up in a ball on the couch with Esme, furious with myself. How could I have let this happen? I was so careless. Jasper usurped Rosalie's spot in the chair, and Alice positioned herself on the floor at my feet. I tried to absorb the serenity that Jasper sent in periodical waves, but the guilt was too powerful, all-consuming.

I asked Alice once where Edward had gone, but all she told me was that he was trying to find Dominik. I didn't want to think about that- he could get himself hurt again, because of me. Or worse. I tried to swallow the pain, but it settled in my ribcage like a second dead heart.

But what hurt most of all was that inside of me, a very deep, hidden part of me missed the little gold ring. My hand missed the weight of it almost as much as my neck missed the weight of Edward's ring. It was sick and twisted, but I felt like it belonged with me. When Edward left, he took more than one piece of my heart with him.


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, **(Edit: Eclipse, Breaking Dawn)**, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. Please don't sue me._

"No, not yet," Alice told Carlisle downstairs. Her voice was low and sad. "He caught Dominik's scent yesterday, but lost it just as fast. He's following a fake ID that's been used across the bible belt right now. There's hotel rooms, since he can't go out during the day."

Carlisle sighed. "Bella and Esme have taken this very hard, haven't they?"

"Understandably," she murmured. "Bella hates thinking that Edward's angry with her, and Esme hates that they're both hurting."

He paused, and I could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose. "He's not angry with Bella, though. He's upset about the ring."

"I would be too," Alice said quietly. "To lose something so important..."

I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to listen any longer. I took a moment to decide whether it would be quieter to sneak out with the heels or bare feet. Putting the heels in my bag with my three changes of clothes, I looked down at my flight information. My plane left in two hours. That gave me half an hour to Seattle, an hour at the airport, and plenty of time to call my family and tell them where I was.

I pulled the duffel over my shoulder and opened the window as silently as I could. Alice wasn't watching me, because she thought I was still wallowing in my misery. She was sitting on the couch, where she'd been since yesterday, following Edward's every move with her thoughts. If I could just get out of the house and to the airport without them noticing, I was in the clear.

There was no way they'd allow me to go on my own.

I double checked for my credit card and forged ID before throwing one leg over the window sill, and then the other. I held my breath so I could listen for any suspicious noises from my family, and slid into the open air. The balls of my feet caught my fall, and I took off running before my bag could have time to catch up with me and make a noise.

_Volvo, Volvo, Volvo, _I thought as I ran, the keys of Edward's car jingling muffled by layers of clothes. I didn't allow myself to yank the door open like I wanted to, when I reached the shiny automobile, but gently tugged on it and flew in. Cursing myself, I realized that I should have pushed it to the end of the driveway before starting the engine, but I'd already closed the door, and the noise had most likely attracted somebody's attention. So, I dug the keys out and pushed them into the ignition.

The Volvo purred, and I sped away from home.

_I'm coming._

_---  
_

It was three days earlier that Edward had left. He didn't take a car, just what he had with him. My core ached from the minute I realized the ring was gone, and my mind was a chaotic flurry of thoughts. To distract myself, I tried to train myself to know when the voices were there, and when they weren't.

It was the second day that one of them talked back.

I was sitting in Carlisle and Esme's bedroom, on their king-size bed, as Esme painted a recreation of a photo of hers and Carlisle's wedding. She looked over at me nervously every five minutes or so, making sure I wasn't about to fall apart again.

She didn't know that I had retreated into my head to hide from the pain in my heart. I was trying to find that place again. I closed my eyes and kept as quiet as I could, taking deep and even breaths. There should have been a door, I thought. I felt along the walls of my mind, feeling something smooth as glass under my palms.

_Come on_, I thought. _I have to be able to get in somehow._

I tried to imagine that I was there, curled up on the floor again, but the walls didn't budge. It wasn't like drywall- there was no hollow noise when I slammed my shoulder against it. The glass-like substance didn't shatter. The only noise was the contact of my force banging the surface.

I opened my eyes and exhaled irritably. So useless.

"He'll be okay," Esme assured me. I cut my eyes to her, and she had completely turned towards me. "This is something he needs to do. He doesn't like leaving you, trust me."

It's just a ring, I wanted to say. He had enough money to buy me a _band_ made of emerald. Why did one tiny stone justify his disappearing? And why wasn't anyone going after him? Weren't they worried?

"Being apart from him makes me anxious," I whispered, a human memory flitting across my mind.

She stared sadly at me for a few moments. I felt uncomfortable under her gaze, and my eyes tilted back towards the ceiling. I caused this family so much strife and worry. Was I ever going to feel like I really belonged?

"You know what my mother would tell me when I was a little girl?" Esme put down her brush and glided over to my side. She smoothed her khaki skirt over her legs and laid down next to me. I lifted my hips up as she pulled the blanket out from under me, stretching it over the both of us.

"What?" I responded automatically and curled into her arms. My head fit just under her chin.

"When I couldn't sleep at night, she'd come in and hold me just like this." Esme squeezed me. "She'd tell me to close my eyes and try to make my toes relax."

"Your toes?" I furrowed my brow, and her chuckle shook me.

"Mmm-hmm. She'd tell me to relax my toes, and then my feet, and then my legs, all the way up to my head. Of course, I never made it there. I was usually gone by the time I got my arms to stop fidgeting and stay still."

I smiled into her neck. Her story made me remember when my own mother would rub my back until I was asleep. The dim, fuzzy memory seemed like a million miles away. "Did you ever try it like this? Like a vampire?" I hated knowing that it wouldn't work, no matter how calm and relaxed she was.

"No," she sighed. "There doesn't seem like much point, does there?"

I shook my head, and she exhaled again. Her breath tickled my hair across my face. For a while, I was content to just lay there with her. I wasn't warm, and I still missed Edward, but it was like taking an aspirin for a migraine. It dulled the pain.

And then, of course, and loud crash from the living room made me start, and she pushed away. My ears perked, caught the sound of Jasper's and Emmett's normal wrestling taunts, and Esme growled almost humorously. "Boys." She said it like an expletive, putting her feet on the plushly carpeted floor and floating out of the room.

I grabbed a pillow and pressed it over my face. When would my happily ever after get here? When I was seventeen, I thought I'd gotten it when Edward agreed to stay. Senior year, I thought it had come when he returned to Forks with the rest of his family. And after graduation, I'd assumed that being changed and eternally beautiful was the bow on top of everything.

But no. It seemed that I'd never escape danger and ever-constant worry. The only difference was that I now had more capacity for it.

"I had her relaxed for _five minutes_," I heard Esme scolding the boys.. "And then you _broke _my _table._"

I coughed a smile into the pillow. I could only imagine burly Emmett and towering Jasper hanging their head in shame. And slender Esme, her fists balled menacingly on her hips. Any other day, it would have had me in giggles. Today, it had the aspirin effect.

I wiggled my toes. It made me feel silly, but there wasn't much more I could do. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and tried to make all of the tension melt out of my feet. It took longer than I thought it would, because every time I started moving up and toward my stomach muscles, I remembered that I was lying here doing nothing while Edward was tracking cross-country. And I'd clench up all over again. Argh.

Eventually, after many tries, after Esme had come back in the room at sat down at her easel, I was comfortable all the way up to my shoulders. My body felt loose and heavy, but I knew from experience that if I thought about that, I'd get tense. I wanted to be completely relaxed, just so I could say I did it.

I took several deep breaths as I tried to make my neck muscles release their worry. It took longer than it should have, draining out all of my angst, and it started to feel like I'd had too much laughing gas. As I let my face smooth over, it was almost as if I wasn't a part of my body. My conscious, sentient part was floating just a millimeter out of place.

I felt all my appendages tingle as I inhaled one final time, big and deep. I wondered how I long I could hold onto this shaky, unsteady feeling. Now that I had canceled out my body, I wanted to do my mind too.

It was easier than I thought it would be. Almost too easy. It was like my mind was muddy glass. All I had to do was splash it with warm water, and the caked-on mud and muck dripped off. I could feel emotion and though draining out of me, and I found myself stumbling for words to describe what was going on. My internal vocabulary was becoming more and more elementary. Complete thoughts became sparse. I was flying, in this numb out-of-body way. My surroundings and worries escaped me- I couldn't make myself remember what they were.

There was something I was supposed...

to be feeling, but I...

just couldn't put...

my finger on...

what it...

was...

Who was I again?

"_Stop!!!_"

The deep, baritone voice yanked me back into my body, and I choked trying to breathe in so much air at once. Reality hit me hard, like being drenched in cold water, and I sat straight up. My mind ran in rewind, going over anything I might have missed or forgotten.

Esme looked alarmed.

"I'm fine," I whispered, blinking rapidly. My eyes were darting in and out of focus, settling on her entire face, and then individual pores, and then back to her profile. "I just..." I blurted the first thing that came to my mind. "What would Edward do if he caught Dominik?"

Her face relaxed minutely, softening. "Edward is not a violent person, regardless of his temper. I imagine he'll take back the ring and give Dominik a warning. If he returns after that, though, there's no saying what he'll do."

I nodded, and then tried to excuse myself. "I think I'm going to go hunt. I've been feeling pretty thirsty this morning." I knew I was a terrible liar, so I touched my throat to add to the performance.

"Do you want me to go with you?" she asked, concerned again.

"No, I'm fine. Maybe getting out of this house will do me some good."

She nodded, giving me an encouraging smile. "That's a good idea. I'm sure you'll feel better when you're not thirsty."

I waved once, and then slipped out of the house, switching to offense. "Who are you?" I demanded, feeling silly. Any of the Cullens who walked outside and saw me would think I was crazy. But then again, I might be.

I was answered with silence.

"Oh, come on, I'm not _stupid._" My eyes darted along the trees, like maybe someone had been throwing their voice, and they'd pop out and yell "surprise." There was a stirring, so I know that he heard me. "Answer me, dang it! What are you doing in my head?"

"Don't try that again," was all he said. His voice was angry, defensive. "That was just plain stupid."

"Why?" I folded my arms over my chest, putting my weight on my right leg. "Why should I do what you say?"

"I'm sorry," he snapped sarcastically. It was like I was wearing headphones. His voice was surrounding me. "Did you _want_ to lose another few days? Edward would _love_ to see you in another miniskirt."

If I'd been human, I'd have been tomato red. I suddenly felt violated. Did this male presence in my head see _everything_? "What do you know about that?"

He hesitated. It was only a sixteenth of a second, but it was long enough. "You don't need to know that,"

"I _want _to know," I growled. "Tell me."

"No. You'll figure it out eventually. If he finds out I told you, you'll be in danger. You and your family. We shouldn't even be having this conversation."

For someone without a body, this person was excruciatingly annoying. "Okay, then. Danger. It'll find me eventually. So, tell me what you're doing in my head."

He hesitated again. "Not that either."

"You're not going to tell me _anything_, are you?" I hissed through my teeth.

"No, not really." There was a long pause, and then he said, "But I'll show you something." He was suddenly flashing through my memories faster than I could see them myself, suddenly stopping on one day just a week or so after my change.

I'd been sitting in the living room with Alice, flipping through the mountain of scrapbooks she'd pulled out. There were so many pictures. Pictures from Carlisle's life, Esme's life, Edward's life, Rosalie's life, et cetera, et cetera. I must have seen a million photos of Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Egypt, Chicago... places I had yet to see. The person in my head- God, I really was crazy- stopped on an old, old picture of Edward's family. He'd paused the memory so that Alice's mouth was open, explaining and caught mid-sentence.

I remembered the picture. Edward Sr. was sitting straight-backed in a large, cushioned chair. He wore a military uniform and a stern expression, but he didn't seem mean. Elizabeth Masen was sitting on the floor at his feet, her knees folded underneath her wide skirts. My sweet Edward was standing behind his father's chair, both hands clenching the top. His expression was serene and bored, his face as beautiful as the first day I saw him.

"Why are you showing me this?" I asked, blinking.

"Look closely. At her hand."

I did a mental close-up. Edward Sr. had his hand on his wife's shoulder, and she was reaching up to put hers on top. Her left hand. And on the third finger was a ring that looked painfully similar to the one I'd worn around my neck for weeks.

"Oh, my God," I choked. No wonder he was so angry. The ring he gave me was his mother's.

"I noticed that the minute I saw the picture," he said smugly.

I'd only noticed Edward's face. How embarrassing. I wonder why he never told me.

I started to ask the voice's opinion, but he'd gone missing again. He was just a faint presence in the back of my head.

I sighed, the guilt crushing me again. There was only one thing left to do, then. I'd lost the ring. It was now my responsibility.

But first, I thought as a nearby elk lit my throat on fire, I needed to prepare myself. My legs silently tore through the forest, and I let my instincts devour the pain.


	15. Chapter 15

I didn't understand just how the Cullens managed to stay inconspicuous in the sunshine. Glaring out the window of the airport in Atlanta, Georgia, I edged closer to the wall as more and more light stretched towards me.

The woman who was handling my insurance papers for a rental car had on a white, short-sleeved collared shirt. The first two buttons were undone, and she was fanning herself with a company brochure. She gave me a puzzled glance when I first walked up in my trench coat and gloves.

"Okay, Mrs. Cullen-" The surname made me jump. "Your car's all ready. Would you like someone to pull it up for you?"

"Please." Giving her a smile, I watched as she picked up a phone at her elbow and murmured into it. "And- hmm." I looked over my shoulder and then back at her. "Has an Edward Cullen borrowed a car? It would probably be a nicer one."

"Your husband?" I could see the gears in her mind working as she tried to figure me out, and she pursed her lips as she tapped on the keyboard in front of her. "No, ma'am, I don't see any other Cullens on the list."

"Thank you anyway," I told her brightly, picking up my bag and pulling it over my shoulder. If he had been through here, Edward might've just stolen a car. I doubt he would have the patience to deal with people. With a short wave, I turned on my heel and moved toward the large set of doors. An elderly man in a polo and khakis was pulling under the overhead in a shiny white car. Edward would probably know the exact model.

I pulled my license out and flashed it at him. He gave me a wary smile and got out, holding the door open for me. "Aren't you hot?" he asked as I put my bag in the passenger's seat.

"I'm cold natured," I lied, hoping it didn't sound flat. I was, surprisingly, a little warm, but I couldn't risk catching a stray beam of sunshine. As I sat in front of the wheel, I looked up at him through my sunglasses. "How would I get to the nearest hotel?"

"Ah, that's easy. Just follow the signs out of this place and get on the highway. There's not so many in the city, but there's plenty about two exits down." He patted the hood of the car and closed my door.

I nodded my thanks and put my foot on the gas. Waiting for him to back up, I slowly pulled out of the lot, dodging buses and people with luggage. Somebody had probably already retrieved Edward's Volvo from the airport in Seattle. And I was sure that they'd call my room as soon as I settled into a hotel.

Whatever. As long as they didn't try and stop me.

The hotel the old man had recommended wasn't bad, quality wise. There was a parking spot completely hidden in shade, so I didn't hesitate in my choice. I grabbed my only bag out of the passenger's seat and quickly walked inside. The lobby was large, with tile floors and leather furniture. A wide-screen TV was turned to the news in the far corner of the room.

"I'm sorry, I'll be with you in just a second," the man at the front desk said, holding out a paper for the exhausted-looking woman with a pillow tucked under her arm.

I nodded and checked the clock on the wall above his head. It was five o'clock. I had another solid couple of hours until dusk.

The clerk pulled a laptop from under the desk and handed it to the woman. "All personal computers must be returned to the front desk at least an hour before check-out," he said. The woman nodded and shuffled away, and I took her place in front of him.

"Good evening." He smiled at me. His name tag said "Michael." "Are you needing a room?"

"Yes, please." I looked after the previous customer while he took my ID and started putting my information into his computer. "And I'd like to use one of those laptops, if that's alright."

"That's perfectly fine." Michael bent over and retrieved the requested computer, setting it in front of me on the desk. "How many nights will you be staying?"

I wasn't sure, really, so I just told him, "Two. For now."

"Okay, Mrs. Cullen. Breakfast is at eight, the pool and gym are both open from six AM to eleven PM, and all laptops must be returned here-"

"Hour before check-out," I finished for him, taking the key card he was offering with a smile.

He blinked, his mouth slightly open, and then shook his head. "Um, yeah, yes. Have a nice stay."

"Thank you," I said, checking my room number before heading up the stairs and down the hall. My room was modest – one bed, a clean bathroom, floral sheets and curtains. It was nothing like the expensive room I'd stayed in with Jasper and Alice so long ago. I dropped my bag on the bed I wouldn't use and set up the laptop on the small table by the window.

I stared at the Google homepage for a long time, unsure of what I wanted to do. Two hours would take so long to pass. Since I'd moved out of Charlie's house, I hadn't used my email much, so there was no need to check that. I wasn't a member of a social site, either. My thumb tapped the space bar repetitively for a long moment before I typed in the first thing that came to my mind: "Katharine of the Lake."

The hotel's Internet was relatively fast, and I got my results sooner than I would have thought. Most of the links were dead ends, leading me to some stupid advertising site or somebody's MySpace page. I added "singer" to the search, and I stumbled across a hopeful prospect: "Entertainers of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries."

I had to scroll for a while, but I eventually found her.

"_Katharine of Lovers' Lake/The White Widow: The origin of this beautiful songbird is unknown. Her first recorded appearance was in 1687, in Lord Henry De Lorme's hall. Katharine went on to sing for nobles across the continent, including the king of France. In 1689, an announcement was sent out__ that Katharine was to be married to the previously mentioned Henry De Lorme. The next day, both the singer and her fiancé went missing. What truly happened the night of their engagement is still unknown, but there are rumors of a secret lover and a possible murder. A body was found in Italy that was supposedly Katharine's, nearly starved and with a deep wound in her neck. This was never confirmed, though, and the mystery of The White Widow and her fiancé lives on today."_

I couldn't breathe. There were three links under that oh-so-limited article. The first were lyrics in French, and the title, if I wasn't mistaken, translated, "The Red Coat." The second was a drawing of Katharine, but of course I knew exactly what she looked like – my own reflection. The third almost sent me into hysterics. It was a picture, much like Katharine's, but it was nothing what I had expected. The man who was in the painting was not Henry De Lorme, the kind-looking, easy-going man I'd seen in my vision. The eyes staring back at me belonged to Dominik and Dominik only.

There was a loud pounding at the door that would have sent my pulse racing, had I been human. I clicked out of the window faster than I knew was possible and shut the laptop too loudly. My hands were shaking, and my legs felt like jelly as I tried to convince myself to stand up.

"Bella! Open this door!" Edward's voice was such a relief that I almost cried. I sprinted to let him in, and he threw his arms around me. "You stupid, stupid girl." He was wearing sunglasses and a fedora, but he threw both of them off. "I can't believe you followed me here."

"I can't believe you left without saying anything to me." I buried my face in his jacket, taking in his scent as deeply as I could. His presence was like light at the end of a dark hallway. The past few days had been torture without him, and having him with me was like heaven.

His fingers threaded themselves in my hair and jerked my face up. My lips were suddenly covered with his, and he pressed me tightly to him. "I'm sorry," he growled. "I was upset."

"I noticed." His hands had slipped my trench coat off my shoulders and were currently removing my gloves. "You don't seem too mad right now."

"I haven't seen you in almost three days." His kisses moved to my neck. "Wait a moment, please, and I'll start ranting." Wherever he touched, electricity pulsed through me. My head spun, and my breath quickened. I was intoxicated by his smell and his taste, and my body was screaming for more.

We found ourselves on the bed, legs intertwined. Edward had become much bolder since I'd been turned, and though it was out of character for him, I enjoyed every minute of it. His hand was under my blouse, drawing patterns around my belly button with his fingertips. My skin was erupting with tiny flames where his skin created friction against mine. I'd been worried, before I was changed, that losing my humanity would change the way I saw and felt about Edward, but the taste of his lips and his skin was sweeter than I could ever remember it being.

The two hours I had been worried would last forever were suddenly flying away. I'd kept the curtains closed, but a part of my mind acknowledged the darkening of the light in the room. My body wanted nothing more than to stay with Edward in this position forever, but my heart, burdened with so much guilt as of late, remembered that Elizabeth Masen's ring was somewhere nearby. And if I was capable of remembering, I knew without a doubt that Edward understood as well.

"Stop?" I asked breathlessly, testing my theory.

He nodded, reluctantly removing his hand from beneath my shirt and running it through his hair. "We can't let him gain any ground. He's near – I know that much." His thoughts probably matched mine. We wanted a few moments of not worrying about anything at all, just to be together. I was dead wrong in thinking that leaving my human life would change any of that.

"What were you planning on doing once you caught him?" I wondered aloud as he rolled off of me and just laid next to me, staring at the ceiling.

"I don't know. I never really thought that through." He sighed, deep and heavy. "Part of me swore I would kill him, honestly. But then there was another part of me that doesn't want to be a monster, and ruthlessly murdering a ruthless murderer would just make me like him."

The information I'd learned just moments before he arrived was suddenly in the forefront of my mind. "Edward, there's something you should know."

"Yes?" His voice was wary, and I wondered if he ever revisited Rosalie's "stray thoughts."

"Dominik isn't his real name. It's Henry. Henry De Lorme. He thinks I'm somebody I'm not."

He was quiet for a moment. "And how'd you come by all this?"

I raised a still-trembling hand to point at the table by the window. "Laptop. Research. He thinks I'm his long lost fiancée."

"Hmm." Edward's fingers laced into my tousled hair, running a thumb over my temple. His noncommittal noise made it nearly impossible for me to decode his thoughts. There was an odd feeling that was settled in the pit of my stomach, something cold and slithering. My heart twisted painfully at the thought.

For the first time since we'd declared ourselves so long ago, I felt separate from Edward.

"_Don't you dare think that!_" the deep voice suddenly snarled, making me jump. _"Are you out of your mind?"_ His scolding stung, and I looked at Edward's golden eyes, which were settled on the abstract patterns on the ceiling. I suddenly felt incredibly stupid. Edward was my other half – I could never be truly separated from him.

"I love you," I whispered, twisting my neck just barely to kiss him on his exposed bicep.

Edward looked at me and smiled, pure and honest. "And I, you, my heart." He pressed his forehead to mine, and I felt warm all over. My own lips curled into happiness, and he pushed a lock of hair out of my face.

There was suddenly a strange noise, one my brain didn't comprehend at first. It took me a while to realize that the loud, obnoxious ringing was the phone. Edward rolled his eyes and sighed, twisting his torso to pick it up off the receiver. "Hello?"

"Front desk." I could hear Michael's voice. "Is this 307?"

"It is."

"You have a message downstairs, sir."

Edward's eyes suddenly darkened a shade. "From whom?"

"He didn't state his name, I'm sorry."

Without another word, he hung up the phone and stood, fixing the buttons I'd undone on his shirt with one hand. He made an impatient gesture for me to do so as well. "Come with me, Bella. I've been apart from you too long and I don't plan on leaving your side for a while."

His words were comforting, and I did what he wished. We left the room together, his arm around my waist and his hand resting on my hip. He was impatient to get to this ominous message, but he didn't rush me, and I appreciated that. I made my pace a little quicker, in compromise, and he shot me a quick smile.

Michael tensed the moment Edward and I entered the lobby. He seemed almost surprised to see us together, and he took a subconscious step back. With Edward in a temper like he was, Michael was probably very intimidated by us. "Our message?" Edward asked, straining to be polite.

The clerk reached behind his computer and pulled out two thick envelopes, with a little post-it note labeling them "Room 307 – Deliver Immediately." "I assumed he was a part of your group, since he knew which room you were in," Michael told Edward nervously.

"He is, thank you," I replied. With a smile and a nod at Michael, I pulled Edward toward the stairwell. He didn't waste time in ripping the first envelope open, keeping his jaw tight and his fist clenched. I put my hand over his, and he relaxed minutely.

"It's an invitation." He glanced up and handed the second envelope to me. "I'm assuming this one is too. To a charity dinner." When he opened the thick card, a folded up piece of notebook paper fluttered out. Edward immediately caught it. "'I'd be delighted if you'd attend. Dominik.' He's on the offense. He's going to find us before we find him."

"Are we going to go?" I asked apprehensively.

"Of course." Taking a quick glance at his watch, he put the paper and the invitation back in the envelope. "He has something that belongs to me."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, dropping my eyes to the floor. "I didn't know it was your mother's."

"And it's only important to you if it was an heirloom?" he snapped, but he immediately softened. "I'm sorry."

"It was an expression of your love for me, above all," I said softly. "I should have been more careful with it."

Edward kissed my forehead. "There was nothing you could have done. It was stolen, not misplaced." With that, he wrapped his arm around my waist again and led me out of the lobby. "Come on. We've got to find you something nice for tonight. Wouldn't want you wearing jeans to this 'distinguished' dinner." I could practically hear the eye-roll in his voice.

"I'd be fine with it," I snorted as we stepped into the newly set dusk.

"Of course you would, Bella. Of course you would."

~:):(:~

The moon was not quite full when we arrived to the country club. It seemed I would never get a chance to see the stars again – the clouds were too thick in Forks, and the lights were too bright in Atlanta. When this was all over, I was going to have to see if Edward would take me somewhere calmer. There were a few whispy clouds flirting with the moon, but other than that, the sky was a clear, dark navy.

"Do you think he's already here?" I asked Edward as he opened my car door and offered me his hand. I took it and got to my feet – which were sheathed in a pair of white heeled sandals. The dress he had let me pick out all on my own was a gold-cream color, with a halter neck made out of a soft, sheer material. There was a gold clasp just below my bust-line, and the skirt was made of something white, covered by the same goldish sheer fabric. Alice would be proud.

"He is. He's greeting us as we speak." His lips were pursed, but he appeared to be relaxed. It may have been the result of our hour or so of "bonding time." While he pulled our invitations out of his jacket – black, classic, and formfitting, with the James Bond bowtie to match – I took a quick inventory of our surroundings. A valet in a tux was escorting our car to a parking spot, and there were more men at the entrance taking invitations and coats. Many of the women had on thick, furry coats, which made no sense to me, seeing as the weather channel had predicted temperatures in the eighties tonight. It seemed to be high society at its finest.

Edward seemed to be reading my thoughts, because he put a hand on the small of my back and murmured, "This is what every other weekend was like when I was your age. Back before cell phones and social sites and all that. People made visits, and neighbors held 'gatherings.'"

I smiled up at him as he handed our invitations to the men guarding the door. "From this moment on, you're not allowed to say the words, 'when I was your age.' Makes me feel like a kid."

The way the corners of his lips turned upwards was awkward, like he wanted to smile but didn't think he should. "I'll be sure to make a note of that," he told me, nodding his head at people who stared at us as we passed.

After the entrance was a long hall. Some techno-ish rap music reeked from the right side, and the sounds of champagne being poured and overly cheerful conversation came from the left. "Which way?" I asked.

"The left." We walked into the large room in silence. There was one extremely long table dividing the space in two. Some of the guests were seated, sipping wine and water, and others roamed and mingled, showing off their ostentatious rings and watches. Edward immediately picked out Dominik in the crowd, encircled by several conservative-looking men. That surprised me, given that humans usually strayed from vampires.

"Ah, these must be your guests!" the tall man standing next to Dominik said, smiling broadly. He was handsome for his age, which had to be in the late forties, judging by the gray in his hair. "Please, my friend, you must introduce us."

Dominik gave me a warm look and herded me from Edward, laying his arm across my shoulders. It felt heavy, but not in the comforting way Edward's did. "This is my very dear friend, Bella," he told the circle of men. "And this is her brother, Edward."

My fiancé's jaw tightened, but he kept his face open and polite. "It's a pleasure to meet you all," he said, his voice low – dazzling them, no doubt.

It worked, and the circle blinked the dazed look from their eyes before greeting us. The tall man, who was now on my right, named each face, identifying himself as "Stanford Grey." It was a stuffy and boring name, and it seemed to fit him. "Would you like champagne?" he asked as a waiter walked through with a tray.

"No, thank you," Edward refused. "We don't drink much."

Dominik's face was pleased, almost smug. He'd been expecting that answer. "I'll have a glass, Stan," he chuckled, swiping a flute from the waiter's tray. With a dramatic swig of his drink, he gestured at Stan and said, "This man here is in charge of this entire deal. We ran into each other this afternoon, and he was able to talk me into a donation."

"He's our savior," Stan laughed, clapping Dominik on the shoulder. "We were a few thousand short of our goal, and then he just shows up, like a gift from God himself."

Looking up at the man whose arm was around me, I wondered how much of him donated money for his plan with me and Edward, and if there was any part of him that gave money to actually support the cause. The man from my vision didn't seem malicious or diabolical, but I'd only seen him for a few moments.

"Where is your family from, Bella? Are you and your brother Georgia natives?" Stan asked me, laugh lines appearing around his money-green eyes.

"We're just visiting Dominik today. We live in Washington." I let myself lean against him, just for the act. Edward clasped his hands behind his back so tightly his knuckles turned white. My heart hurt seeing him so angry.

This forced small talk continued for a long time, Dominik seeming to forget the tension between him, Edward, and I. His thumb was rubbing small circles against my shoulder, and though my entire body was stiff and closed off, I didn't make any move to stop him. Edward and I had already planned to make our move after everybody had left and we were alone with Dominik. But I didn't doubt that the man next to me would be leaving with a few body parts he'd need to reattach.

A short woman in her late twenties came up to the group and whispered in Stan's ear, and he grinned. "Thank you, Donna." He took a step back from our group and clapped his hands loudly. "Excuse me, if I could have your attention. I've been informed that dinner is about to be served, so if you could please take a seat..."

The room began to settle, and Dominik pulled out the chair on the very far end and gently moved me into it. Edward pursed his lips and went to take the place in front of me. "Oh, Dominik – catch." His hand was a blur as he tossed Katharine's ring through the air. It landed in Dominik's champagne glass with a clink.

I tried to hide my smile with a cough, and Edward smirked from across the table.

"Thank you, Edward," Dominik said, fishing the ring out with his salad fork. "I'll see that it's returned to its rightful owner."

I could hear the deep voice in my head growling.

Dinner could hardly be called that. First was a salad, which I mostly shuffled around with my fork. The entrée was served next, some duck dish that most people finished within five minutes. I took a small bite, just to test, and I could feel the foreign food moving uncomfortably through my body. It sat like a stone in my stomach. Edward saw and gave me a small, teasing smile. His tight grip on his utensils didn't relax, though.

After dessert was brought- some sort of French pastry with berries- Stanford stood up and cleared his throat. "I just wanted to thank everyone who came tonight, and an extra special gratitude to those who donated to our fund. With your help, we can help find a cure for those with Huntingtons's disease."

There was a smattering of applause from around the table, and Dominik looked up at Stan. "May I?" he asked, and Stan reached out a hand to him and sat down. Dominik stood. "Good evening. And thank you, Stan, for arranging all this." There was another round of light clapping. "It's been such a beautiful night, and I wanted to end it on a happy note." A chill ran down my spine as he smiled warmly down at me. "Bella?"

He offered his hand, and I took it, standing on shaking legs. A couple of excited gasps and murmurs pulsed through the audience.

"Bella, I've been waiting a long time to say this. I know there have been many obstacles in our way, years we'll never get back, events we can never change... But I love you with all my heart." Dominik pushed back his chair and got down on one knee. Giggles shot through the room, and I lifted my hand to cover my mouth. "Marry me, Bella."

He reached into his pocket and unfolded his hand. Sitting in his palm were both rings. My rings. "Which one?" he whispered.

"_Take it!" __the_deep voice roared, and I had the sensation of someone glowering at me. _"Take the ring!_" But the one he wanted wasn't Edward's. _"Do it, Bella, or I'll do it myself." _

I shot a panicked glance at Edward. He was trying hard not to glare, but I could see his hands- claws against his knees.

"Which one?" Dominik asked again, separating the rings into two different hands- Elizabeth's in his right and Katharine's in his left.

I knew what this had come down to. He wasn't asking me what ring I wanted. It was obvious that he wouldn't give me Edward's, even if I asked for it. He saw the way I hesitated. He knew a part of me wanted Katharine's ring. As I looked in his black eyes, I could see his triumph. He'd proven I was Katharine. "Bella" would have taken the emerald ring without a second thought and ran.

"Yes," I told him, my voice just a whisper. The audience exploded into applause.

With a grin of victory, Dominik stood again and slipped both rings back in his pocket. "Shall we celebrate?" he said to the people at the table, tilting his head towards where the blunted music was coming from. Most of the younger people stood immediately, ready to dance and have fun. Edward, Dominik, and I stayed in our places until everybody had trickled out of the dining room.

Dominik wrapped his arm possessively around my waist and pulled me away. "Looks like she's made her choice," he chuckled.

I heard the whizzing noise first, and then a metallic thud. I looked over my shoulder, where the sound came from. Edward's fork- the handle incredibly twisted and mangled- was wobbling from where it had been thrown like a dart, right next to Dominik's face. Edward's expression was black and violent.

They stared each other down for a long time, but Dominik looked away first, gently guiding me out of the room and across the hall. "I knew you would remember me before long," he said, affectionately squeezing my waist.

_Damn you,_ I thought. _This is your fault. It was my choice, not yours, you stupid apparition. _

The presence with the deep voice, I could feel in the very back of my mind. He felt bad, I could tell. His hatred for Dominik seemed to match mine. But he wanted that ring so badly, and it was affecting my decisions.

The makeshift club was almost uncomfortably warm. Music blared from all directions, and people tended to move out of our way as Dominik led me across the floor. He then let me go, but offered his hand. "Would you like to dance?"

_No,_ I wanted to say. _I want to take those rings and get far away from you._ But I held my tongue. "I'm not very good at it."

His face exploded with a smile. "I knew you would say that."

As I made an awkward attempt at dancing- much less so since my turning, but without Edward, my two left feet made a guest appearance- I scanned the room for an escape. All I wanted was to be gone, but I knew those rings were more important. I thought maybe if I could distract him, I could get them out of his pocket.

Where did you go, Edward?

I didn't want him to see what I was going to do. Taking a deep breath, I moved closer to Dominik, swaying my hips like some of the other girls in the room were doing. The room was dark, but I could still see the change in his expression. It was so unnerving, I could practically feel my cheeks heating. I put my shaking hand on his chest and pulled the clip out of my hair with the other.

His breathing picked up, and I watched his coal eyes smolder. People around me were dancing raunchily, grinding and slithering, and I swallowed hard. I didn't like this kind of dancing.

"_I don't like it either, trust me,"_ the voice said. He'd been much more present since I'd called him out before I left for Atlanta. _"Just get the rings and get out of here."_

The song changed to something with a strong bass, thumping through my chest. It was a disturbing sensation, but I forced myself closer to Dominik, rolling and twisting my hips. As he pressed me against him, his hands on the small of my back- too close to my butt for my comfort- I took the opportunity to feel for the small shapes of the rings. I found them, and almost reached into his pocket, but then I felt his lips-strangely and disturbingly cold- caressing my neck.

At the same moment, I locked eyes with a glaring Edward from across the room.

I tried to send him an apologetic look, but somebody walked in front of my line of sight, and he was gone. The crowd was closing in, pressing tighter and tighter. My throat was beginning to burn uncomfortably, and I could feel Dominik's hands burning through the thin fabric of my dress, offending parts of me only Edward was allowed to touch. I'd had enough. _I'm sorry, Edward, _I thought to myself, taking a deep breath. Repeating my apology again and again in my mind, I tilted my face towards his and pressed my lips firmly against Dominik's. As he crushed my body to his, I reached into his jacket pocket and stole the rings. He didn't seem to notice.

And then there was a too-tight hold on my wrist, and I was being dragged through the room. The lights flashed, and I saw Edward's bronze hair. My body relaxed, and I loosened my hand so not to bend either of the rings. He pulled me out of the hot, sweaty room and out of the building. There was a warm breeze, but it felt incredibly refreshing compared to the conditions I'd just been in.

Edward all but threw me at the car. "Get in."

I opened my mouth to say something, but Dominik's form flew past me, slamming Edward against the ally wall. "You will not take her away from me!" he snarled, pushing me to the ground when I tried to pull him off.

"Edward!" I cried, but Dominik turned on me.

"Shut up! You made your decision!" His eyes were wild and furious, his sharp, blunt teeth shiny with venom.

Edward took the opportunity to shove Dominik away, but the elder vampire was faster than expected. He grabbed Edward's arm with one hand, twisted it around his back, and pulled his head to the side with the other.

"Dominik, please! Stop!" I tried to push him away, but I ended up being thrown against the other side of the ally, cracking the brick and falling to the ground.

"She's mine! She won't be stolen away from me again!" He was hysterical.

"She's Isabella Swan! She was never yours!" Edward struggled against his hold, but Dominik pulled tight, and he cried out in pain.

"Stop it! Dominik, please!" I felt so helpless. There was a loud, metallic ripping, and Edward screamed again. I scrambled to my feet, sobbing. "Stop this!" Taking a step forward, I whispered, "Henry… Please. If you love me, Henry, you'll let him go."

Dominik's growling and snarling suddenly quieted. He was still as Edward continued to struggle and fight.

"Please, Henry." I saw the effect my saying his name had on him. His grip on Edward's arm loosened, but only slightly. "You love me, don't you?"

"I do," he growled lowly.

"Then don't hurt him. Let him go." I took another step towards him, putting my hand on Dominik's shoulder. "Let us leave."

The next thirty seconds were the longest of my life. I tried to suppress my quiet sobs. Edward's breath was heavy, and I longed to get him away from here. If we got out of this, I swore to myself, I would lock myself in my room for the rest of eternity and never coming out to attract any danger. The reality that I might be going home to my family without Edward was suddenly very real and very painful.

Finally, Dominik stepped back and pushed us both away from him. "Just go."

"Thank you," I breathed, relief flooding through my lungs. "Thank you." I tried to help Edward from his slumped position against the wall, but he shook me off and stood up on his own. As I got into the driver's seat of Edward's car, I took one last glance at Dominik. He was staring after us, and the words "battle" and "war" came to mind. As soon as Edward had his door shut, I started the engine and floored it.

"Did you get it?" he asked, not looking at me.

I opened my palm, and he reached over and took his mother's ring. I felt as though I was being stripped of something important, and the guilt choked me. Dropping Katharine's ring in my lap, I stared out the windshield. He was so angry with me. How many times could I wrong him before he finally realized he was too good for me? Maybe he finally had.

When we reached the parking lot, he got out and slammed the door shut. The loud sound made me jump, almost as if he'd slapped me. I had to take a couple deep breaths before I could make myself get out of the car and follow after him. Each step I took up the stairs felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Ever since Dominik came into the picture, I'd just been making one stupid mistake after another.

The hotel room's door was slightly open, so he'd remembered that I didn't have a key. I took a deep breath before slowly pushing it open. "Edward?" I asked hesitantly.

He was sitting in one of the chairs at the table. His jacket, shirt, and bowtie had already been torn off and thrown on the floor, and he was rubbing the shoulder that Dominik had pulled on. Even though I'd called his name, he didn't look up.

"Edward, I'm sorry." I felt so dirty, so defiled.

"I know." He rotated his shoulder to make sure nothing had been pulled out of place and then ran a hand through his hair. "You did what you had to do." His words were what I wanted to hear, but his voice was so cold and detached.

"You're mad at me, though," I whispered, rubbing my bare arms.

He sighed. "Just go take a shower, Bella."

I stood there for a moment, scared to move. After a moment, my brain finally caught up with my body, and I moved to do as I was told. Shuffling to the bed, I took off my shoes with shaking hands and dug through my bag for a clean change of clothes. I could feel his eyes on me the entire time, holding a weight that was almost too heavy to bear.

I had my hand on the bathroom doorknob when he stopped me. "Wait," he said suddenly, knocking the clothes in my hand to the ground. "I've got a better idea."

He crushed me to the wall, his lips rough against my mouth. It was so different from how gentle he usually was that at first, I didn't understand what he was doing. His hands roamed across my body, pressing me to him with an undeniable force. "Edward," I gasped as he moved his kisses from my lips to my neck, licking and biting my throat.

"You're mine," he growled, ripping the halter neck of my dress. His hand slid down the back of my thigh and then wrapped my leg around his hips. My body knew exactly how to react to this, and I pulsed against him involuntarily. He moaned, biting my shoulder harder than he probably meant to. I couldn't stop the muffled cry of pain that escaped from my mouth. Despite this, he didn't stop, yanking hard on my dress' zipper and tearing it away.

"Edward!" I whispered, trying to catch my breath. "Edward, stop."

"You've got his smell all over you," he said darkly, dragging me to the bed and pushing me down. My body was all too happy about this change in his behavior, but my head and my heart hated it. His touch was rough, and he was moving far too quickly. When I tried to push him off, he grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head.

"Edward, stop! I don't want it to be like this." He didn't listen, breaking the clasp of my bra. "Edward, you're _scaring_ me!"

Those seemed to be the magic words, because he suddenly snapped out of it, staring at me with confused eyes. For a moment, we just stayed like that, staring at each other as we waited for our breathing to slow. And then he moved his gaze from my face and saw how he was restraining me. He slammed his eyes shut, regret making itself apparent in every facet of his expression. He released my hands and looked at his, as if they'd moved on their own.

Our eyes locked again, and seeing the fear in my face, he instantly got off of me and leaned against the far wall. He slid down, sitting with his back against the wall. "I'm so sorry, Bella," he whispered, bringing his knees to his chest and hiding his face in them.

I looked at the ceiling, trying to block out the sound of his still-heavy breathing. Slowly, holding my bra against my chest, I walked back to where we were, picked up my clothes, and silently hid in the bathroom. I automatically went through the motions of closing the curtain, turning on the shower, and stripping of what was left of my clothes. Closing my eyes and leaning against the locked door, I tried to erase everything that had happened tonight.

There was an electronic ringing on the other side. His phone. I wondered if he'd just let it ring, but then I heard his voice, low and lifeless. "What?"

It was Alice. I had to strain to hear, but I could make out what she was saying. "What did you _do_?"

"I'm sure you're already very well informed." His tone was flat and dead.

"I can't _believe_ you! What were you _thinking_?"

He was silent for a long time, and then I heard the quiet crunching of the phone in his hand. The carpet shuffled as he got to his feet and strode across the room.

I opened the door, and sure enough, he had his hand posed to grab the doorknob and run. "Don't leave." I stared him down. "Don't leave."

"Bella, I'm a monster." His face was crumpled with pain. "I just defiled you in the worst possible way."

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "So, the least you could do is stay."

His gaze dropped to the floor, and I couldn't even feel the embarrassment of standing naked in the bathroom doorway, begging him not to go. Then he reached for the door again.

"Edward!"

He paused and tilted his face towards me, but didn't look back up. "I'm going to arrange our flight. I'll be back."

"Good," I breathed, and then watched as he left.

This is how it always was with life. Doors opening, doors closing. And as I stood there between rooms, staring after him, I wondered if the door had just closed on me and Edward forever.


	16. Chapter 16

"I just don't understand what's going on with them," I heard Esme whispering behind her bedroom door. "Neither of them has been the same since they got back, Alice won't talk to us about it, and that ring has stayed on the coffee table all week."

"I know, Esme, I know." Carlisle sighed, and I could just picture him pinching the bridge of his nose or rubbing the back of his neck. "But every time I try and ask him, he breaks down and storms off. Have you tried Bella?"

"Of course! It's just like with Alice- she practically begs me not to bring it up."

"Has she told Jasper, at least?" I could hear her footfalls on the carpet- pacing again. "She tells him everything."

"Probably. But he guards her secrets with his life. I'll talk to him."

Esme sighed. "Thank you. I'm going to go sit with Alice." I watched her door from my spot at the top of the stairs until the doorknob turned and she stepped out. She was halfway through the living room when she looked up and saw me. "Oh. Bella. I didn't know you were there."

How was I supposed to reply to that? I opened my mouth, but all that came out was, "Yup."

She climbed the stairs and sat down a couple below me. "We're just worried, honey. Something happened in Atlanta and nobody's telling us what's going on."

"I'm sorry, Esme. And I'm the one who asked Alice not to tell anybody." I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. "I just... I don't want to deal with it. Not with you and Carlisle."

The silence was uncomfortable, and she smoothed her hands over her jeans. "Is it because you think we'll be disappointed in you?" When I didn't answer, she asked. "What if I ask yes or no questions? Can I do that?"

"As long as I'm allowed to pick which ones I want to answer."

"Of course. So, the first one- is it because you think Carlisle and I would be disappointed in you?" She put her hand on my knee and tried to make eye contact with me, but I avoided her gaze. "Because you know that we'll love you no matter what happened or happens."

"A little bit," I admitted, bringing my knees to my chest. "And I know that."

"Bella..." Her soft face looked so lost. I felt guilty for causing such frustration for her. "Okay, um, is it something Dominik did?"

I paused. "Kinda."

Esme was an excellent mother- she knew exactly how to ease into things. "Is it something Edward did?"

I couldn't help it, but thinking back to that night in the hotel room, I flinched. "Kinda. But it's also kind of my fault."

There was a silence while she waited to see if I would elaborate, but when I didn't, she continued. "Did you have a fight?"

I shook my head. "Not really."At least, not in the way she was thinking.

"Is it related to your changing?"

"You're getting colder," I muttered, covering my eyes with my hands.

"Was he being overprotective?"

"Brrr." She didn't deserve my sarcasm, really. Just another brick on my back.

"Bella, honey, I'm confused." She was so sweet, so sincere. I just couldn't imagine how ashamed she'd be of both me and Edward if she found out.

"Me too. Esme, no offense- I thought I was ready to talk about this, but I'm really not."

"Okay." She forced a smile on her face, but I could tell that she was sad I closed off again. "Okay, well, whenever you're ready, I'm here." After she stood up, she kissed me on my forehead and tucked my hair behind my ear. "I'm going to go see how Alice is doing."

This had to be the most miserable I'd felt since before the Cullens returned. Edward had spent so much time hunting lately, just to avoid me. Emmett and Jasper would tag-team us when we were in a room together. Jasper would try to relax us, and Emmett would make stupid jokes. It never worked, though, and the awkward tension between us never eased. We'd barely spoken two sentences to each other since we arrived in Washington.

Every time he left to hunt, I couldn't focus until I knew for certain that he would be coming back. He'd walk out the door, and I'd relive that day in the woods all over again. It was driving me crazy. But it was so hard for me to think of the right thing to say. He wouldn't talk to me, so I didn't know what needed to be said to him. It was just a vicious circle.

Right now, he was on his way home from a hunting trip with Jasper. Jazz had called me to let me know a couple hours ago, and I was determined to say something to Edward when he got home. I just wasn't exactly sure what.

Carlisle walked out of his room and stopped at the foot of the stairs. "Esme gets to guess," he said, smiling sadly at me as he leaned against the stair rail. "Do I?"

"Sure, Carlisle." He knew Edward better than almost anybody, and his questions would be more specific. I'd have to duck and cover if I wanted to avoid my heart being splattered all over the stairs.

"Something happened. I'm not sure what, but I'm guessing it was something similar to this- Edward did something. I'm not sure what, but it was serious, because he probably thinks he's a monster who doesn't deserve to live, and you're having a hard time talking to him about it. No matter how hard things have gotten, you've never _not_ been able to talk to him before." He gave me a moment for it to sink in and then nodded. "How close am I?"

"Not bad, old man," I said, attempting a grin.

He pretended to polish his nails against his shoulder. "I've still got it." With that, he left me alone, and I was grateful. Carlisle never pushed, but I had a feeling Edward was going to be cornered before the night was over.

Sitting on the stairs feeling sorry for myself was getting me nowhere. I got up with a sigh and started towards my room, but I was abducted before I even got close. One second, I'm shuffling through the hallway, and the next, I'm being thrown over Emmett's shoulder and kidnapped. He ran out of the house before I could ask him what the hell he was doing and strapped me into his jeep.

"Emmett, are you out of your mind?" I asked as he got in on the other side and backed out of the driveway almost recklessly.

"I am quite sane, little sister," he chuckled darkly.

"You're high, then. What have you been smoking?"

The jeep swerved onto the highway and screeched through town at death-defying speeds. "Drugs don't have any effect on our system, Bella." He shot me a glance. "Trust me. I've experimented."

I snorted. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Now, would you _please _explain what's going on?"

He rolled his eyes. "I am not like Esme and Carlisle. I'm not a sensitive parent. I'm an obnoxious, overprotective, annoying older brother. And you're not getting out of this car until I find out what happened and we figure out a plan to fix it." I quirked an eyebrow at him, but he didn't budge. "Hey, I can drag Edward in here, too. Don't think I won't do it."

I slumped in my seat and put my feet against the dashboard. "Better get comfortable. Hope you've got plenty of gas money."

The jeep suddenly jerked to the right, and Emmett weaved it through the trees. "I guess we're picking up Edward and Jasper, then."

"You're acting crazy!" I exclaimed, watching as he tore through the forest with ease.

"No, _you're_ acting crazy. You and Edward. Now, do I keep driving, or are you gonna talk?" He pressed on the gas to emphasize his point.

"Emmett, it's _really_ not a conversation I want to have with my brother," I begged. "Just take me home and let me mope."

"No way. It's been mopey time for a week. It's talky time now." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "And I guess I'm going to have to call Jasper to get their location."

"No, stop. Don't pick them up. I'll tell you what happened." I undid the seatbelts and leaned against the door as he swerved the jeep around. His driving was not my favorite of the family's, but as with most things, he got stuff done.

"Okay. Where do you want to start?"

I sighed and closed my eyes, telling him about flying to Atlanta, reading about Katharine on the laptop, Edward finding me at the hotel. "Everything was fine. Mostly. He said he didn't want to leave my side. And then we got to the dinner." I rubbed my forehead with my palm. "We had to go along with whatever Dominik was saying. It was horrible." I explained about how Dominik wanted me to choose between the rings- "I didn't mean to hesitate. Getting that ring was the only reason I even went to Atlanta."- and I told him about dancing with him to get the rings out of his pocket- "It was horrible. I showered for an hour that night and still felt disgusting."

For all his jokes and comments, Emmett was a surprisingly good listener. He didn't interrupt like I expected him to, and he didn't baby me either. When I moved on to what happened in the ally, talking got harder. I had to stop a couple times to collect myself, but getting it all off my chest was beginning to feel good.

"And then he watched us leave. I don't think it's over with him, but he let Edward go."

"Okay. We'll keep our eyes out for him. What next?"

I hesitated, looking out the window. "He was so upset, Emmett. We got to the hotel, and he just got out of the car, slammed the door, and walked inside."

"Well, duh. He just got showed up by the guy who was grinding on his girl. I'd be pissed too."

"It's not just that, Emmett. He was pissed at _me_." I stretched my legs out, putting my feet against his knee. "I humiliated him. I let Dominik touch me in ways only Edward should be allowed to touch me. In _public_. I _kissed _him, Emmett!. I should have just taken the stupid ring the second he offered it."

"Dude, Bella, chill. Sure. He's a little mad. But the only reason you were snuggling up to Dominik is to get Edward's ring back. You don't rub all over strange men for no reason, and if you beat yourself up over that, _I'm _going to beat you up."

"Don't _you_ know how to sweet talk a girl?" I muttered.

"Oh, yeah. I hooked Rosalie by telling her I'd beat her with a golf club if she didn't shut up." His face took on a wistful look. "We've been together ever since."

"Once again, Emmett, why doesn't this surprise me?"

"Some people call it predictability. I call it _dependability_." He leaned over and flicked me on the forehead. "Now don't change the subject! Is that all?"

The smile that had been on my face immediately disappeared.

_You're mine._

_You've got his smell all over you._

"No. It's not." I took a deep breath, and exhaled. "We were in the hotel room, and I was trying to apologize. He told me to get a shower, so I grabbed my stuff and headed towards the bathroom. But then he tells me to stop, and he starts kissing me. Really rough." I looked up through my lashes to watch Emmett's expression, but he kept his poker face. "I, um, I kissed him back at first, but then he started going too far. He pulled my dress off, and when I tried to push him away, he held onto my hands."

"He raped you?" Emmett asked, his voice as normal as if he was talking about the weather. The imprints his hands were forming in the steering wheel told a different story, though. With what happened to Rosalie, I never should have told him what Edward did.

I immediately stood up for him. "No, I told him he was scaring me and he finally snapped out of it. And, after the initial shock wore off, it didn't really bother me. But now he won't talk to me, and I don't know what to say to him, and it's all ruined." My throat felt tight, and my hands had started trembling again, but I kept my composure.

"You want me to kick his ass?" he asked, flexing his bicep at me.

"No, Emmett, I don't. I just want things to be normal again." I let my head fall back against the Plexiglass window with a thud. I only wished it would hurt.

"Normal? Hah! I laugh in the face in normalcy." He grinned at me. "So, what's the problem? Just _say _something to him."

"That's just it- I don't know _what_ to say. He feels guilty for touching me like that, and I feel guilty about upsetting him. He's never going to believe that I forgive him. He'll beat himself up about it the minute I open my mouth. I'm terrified he's going to try and leave again."

"Me and Jasper'll drag his sorry butt back if he tries." Emmett reached over and squeezed my knee. "It'll be okay. It'll work out. It always does."

"Thanks, Em. Can we go home now?"

"I'm already heading that way." I watched as he tried to smooth out the dents in the steering wheel. "Heh. I guess the whole 'don't know my own strength' thing doesn't apply here."

"Just be lucky it wasn't Edward's Vanquish. Heads would roll."

He snickered. "It'd be nice payback, though, eh?"

It was then that I heard the yelling. I could hear Esme's muffled voice, though we were a good couple miles from the house. "Emmett, drive faster. Something's happening."

"It's not often that people tell me to hurry up," he muttered, but the speedometer crept towards 120 mph.

"Esme, please. Calm down." I could hear Carlisle's voice as we screeched into the driveway. I sprinted out of the car and into the house as fast as I could.

"I thought we raised you better than that!" Esme shouted, her face contorted with anger and hurt. I followed her line of vision- Edward was sitting on the couch, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "Of all the things I knew you were capable of, I _never_ thought you would force yourself on Bella like that!"

"Who told you that?" I snapped.

She jumped; apparently, she hadn't heard me come in. "Bella, you're back!"

"I'm sorry, Bella." Alice was at the top of the stairs, where I'd been sitting earlier. "I had a vision of you telling Emmett. I figured they'd find out soon enough."

Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Alice, why don't you and Rosalie take Bella into the city for a while so we can talk to Edward?"

"No!" I didn't want them yelling at him. There was no doubt that he was torturing himself enough. He hadn't even lifted his head to look at me when I came in. "What happened between me and Edward is just that- between me and Edward."

"Bella, I understand where you're coming from," Esme reasoned. "But what happened between you two concerns this whole family. If you had worked it out already, I wouldn't say a thing, but this is hurting everybody."

"Please, Esme, just leave it alone." My gaze moved to Edward, dejected and defeated. I could feel my mouth moving to form words, but no coherent sound came out.

There was a hand on my shoulder- Emmett. He gently pushed me to the side, not smiling for once, and moved to the couch with a grace not usually accustomed with his size. "Edward." He shook his brother's shoulders, but Edward didn't move. "Come on, man, you and me are gonna go for a drive."

I felt like my feet had been nailed to the floorboards. It was like I was split in two; part of me wanted to go to him, to kiss him and tell him we would be alright, and the other half didn't dare move under the gazes of every one of my family members. _Every _one- Rosalie watched from behind tiny little Alice, her face closed off and slightly vulnerable.

"Jasper, please?" Esme murmured, raising a hand to touch to her forehead.

The tall blond, who was situated near the door, took a step forward. A false sense of serenity and optimism swept through the room, and it made me bold enough to stagger towards Edward and Emmett.

"Edward, please, just go with him." I hesitated, but then slowly lowered myself to sit next to him on the couch.

He didn't react at first, but then he finally pulled his face out of his hands and tilted it towards me. His eyes were a flat black, which surprised me, since he had supposedly just returned from a hunting trip. "If that's what you really want, Bella."

_I really want you to be happy. _The words were on the tip of my tongue, but they wouldn't vocalize themselves. I touched my forehead to his, instead, and he closed his eyes, his forehead creased. "It's really what I want," I whispered, and we stayed like that for a moment longer.

"I will, then," he said softly and pulled away, looking up at Emmett. His brother offered him a hand, and Edward took it.

"Come on, happy camper," Emmett sighed, clapping him on the back and escorting him out of the house.

Esme slumped into the white leather chair, as if she didn't have enough energy left to stand. "I'm sorry, everybody. I didn't mean to lose my temper," she apologized, even though Rose, Alice, and Jasper had already disappeared upstairs. The hand over her face muffled the noise.

"I just don't want anybody yelling at him. _I've _forgiven him." I glanced up at Carlisle. "But I know he hasn't forgiven himself.

Esme tried to apologize again, but I threw my hands up. "It's fine, Esme. But I really do appreciate you standing up for me."

"I just don't understand why he would act like that," she mumbled into her hand. "He's usually such a gentleman. Especially with you."

"Like I said- it's kind of my fault, too." Embarrassing as that was to admit, Edward didn't deserve Esme's disappointment, and I didn't want the blame placed entirely on him. "I was trying to get the rings back, and I was acting very inappropriately to distract Dominik." I paused, ashamed. "I kissed him."

"But still, Bella," Carlisle cut in. "Edward shouldn't have done that to you, no matter the circumstances."

"It really sounds worse than it is," I whispered, my eyes dropping to the floor. "And we've done things..." Luckily, I'd lost the ability to blush, or I'd be fuchsia. "Similar... to what happened." My thoughts turned to Italy, and the night he proposed to me. He'd been so gentle then, his hands so soft. It seemed ridiculous to me that he hadn't felt guilty then, but he couldn't look me in the eye now. Frustratingly so.

I sighed. "I just want to get past this."

Suddenly Alice's laughter, like wind chimes, rang through the house. It was loud and melodic, and it seemed that the tension in the house was even lessened by it. The happy noise didn't stop for a while- obviously Alice found something incredibly amusing. After the laughter finally ceased, she called, "Bella! Get your shoes on, if they aren't already." I heard her feet dancing across the carpet upstairs. "We're going shopping!"

And then the laughter started again.

XD

I have a fuzzy human memory of being fourteen, sitting on my mother's bed as she got ready for a date. She had a mirror top table that she kept all her perfume bottles on, and I'd smell each one as my mother tried on dress after dress, each one shorter than the last.

I felt like that at the mall with Alice. She began looking for something specific, but when she couldn't find it, I found myself being handed more dresses than I could carry without looking completely ridiculous. The selection began very modest, but then hemlines started getting higher and necklines started getting lower.

"Alice, why are you doing this to me?" I asked as she sent me _back _the dressing room I'd just come out of with another outfit. Sometimes I'd _just_ get the dress zipped up and she'd call me back and tell me she didn't like what it was going to look like.

"I can't tell you that. But it's really important that you have an incredibly adorable outfit," she said through the door. "Wait, no, not that one."

"Alice!" I tried to pull off the top she'd given me without ripping it. "I really don't want to be here!"

"Please, Bella, bear with me," she begged. "You'll thank me later."

"Alice," I sighed exasperatedly and opened the door. "Trade. Or I'm walking out right now."

"I just told you ten minutes ago. I can't keep checking every other minute. Just relax. Emmett's taking care of it."

"Alice, it takes two seconds," I insisted. "And if Emmett really had it under control, you wouldn't mind looking for me."

"So irritating," she muttered, snatching the blouse I held out to her. Her eyes closed, though, and she went still.

I froze as well. What had taken merely seconds when I was a human now stretched on for what seemed like years. The stress of not only being apart from Edward, but knowing that he was in pain, as well, probably exaggerated those few moments too. I tried to be patient.

Finally, Alice opened her eyes, and something good and positive flashed across her golden irises. She quickly tried to appear unsurprised and said in a flat tone, "His brothers are getting him to actually _hunt_." Smirking, she held out a black miniskirt. "I told you Emmett was taking care of it."

I cracked a smile for the first time in hours, breathing in deeply. "He'll feel better when he's not thirsty, won't he?" I dared myself, pulling the skirt over my thighs. Besides the fact that it was too big, I could practically hear Emmett's voice joking about how short it was. Shaking my head, I slid it back off.

"Edward will be in a considerably better mood when we get home," Alice affirmed, taking the skirt from me and hanging it back up. "But, Bella, that's not to say he'll be in a _good _mood." With a sweep of her arm, she collected all of the refused garments she'd grabbed off the racks. I watched her as she left the dressing room, her designer ballet flats seemingly floating above the carpet floors.

I started dressing again, but I heard her gasp, and I stopped. " I found it! It was on the reject rack the entire time!" she called to me. "Come on, we can go now."

The question about the fit didn't even make it out of my mouth- it was Alice, after all. So, I finished buttoning my jeans and pushed open the tiny room's door to see her holding the dress up for me. It was an almost see-through ivory, with a pale pink ribbon underneath the bust that tied in the back. I couldn't tell how high the hem line would go, since it was hanging on a hanger, but I guessed it would reach around mid-thigh. It was a nice dress, but not something I would pick out on my own.

"It's exactly as I saw it," she said, almost to herself, as she paid for it and dragged me out of the store. There was a smile on her face that made me suspicious. My caution flamed into embarrassment as she pushed me through the doors of a lingerie store. "Alice, I really don't think I need any of this." I eyed the walls of half-naked mannequins much like the way Edward eyed Mike Newton.

"Bella, just trust me, please. It's to go _under_ your dress." She immediately went for something racy and lacy. "We'll just find something real quick and go." I grimaced as she picked up a piece of fabric that wouldn't have covered my thumbnail, much less... Ugh.

"You couldn't get me to wear that even if you held a gun to my head," I told her, resisting the urge to turn around and make a run for it.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Don't worry; this is more like Rosalie's level. I'm thinking of something much more subdued for you."

"Thank God," I muttered.

Half an hour later, Alice was _finally _allowing me to leave, bags in hand. She even let me drive home, a pleasure I didn't get very often. I was eager to see if Edward would hold a conversation with me, now. It was a long shot, but I kept my fingers crossed nonetheless.

When we arrived home, Rosalie was curled under Emmett's arm on the couch. Esme and Carlisle's bedroom door was open, and I could see Esme stretched out on the bed reading a book. Everything was calm and peaceful, and the best part of all- there was _music_. The sounds coming from the piano welcomed me home better than any of my family members could.

It wasn't my lullaby. It was something I didn't recognize, quiet and melodic. But it was compelling, with sad lilts and trills of hope. I liked it, and I shuffled towards the piano, mesmerized.

Edward didn't look up, but his shoulders tensed under my gaze. I almost stopped in my tracks. I remembered what Alice had said about him being in a better mood, and how Emmett had insisted that I just talk to him, though, and I continued, taking a seat on the edge of the piano bench. If I'd been human, I would have missed the way he eased away from me, almost imperceptibly. The gaping space between his thigh and mine hurt, but it wasn't any worse than what he'd been doing all week. I chose to ignore it.

"Hey," I murmured, watching his expression carefully. His eyes were the most beautiful honey color I'd ever seen.

"Good morning," he replied softly, glancing up to meet my gaze. His velvet voice, as it always did, sent chills of delight down my spine.

"I missed you." I held my breath, hoping he wouldn't end the conversation here.

His lips spread into a hesitant smile, and he said, "Miss you more."

I released the air in my lungs, relieved. Alice was right- he was in a much better mood. The hunting had helped. I absently wondered what Emmett and Jasper had said to him. My gaze dropped to his hands, which were still gliding effortlessly across the keys. His fingers were long and slender, the muscles in his forearms contracting and relaxing. On a whim, I reached out to touch them.

His hand stumbled to a stop, and he pulled away, shying from my reach. The notes he'd been playing spilled and scattered, and he cut his eyes away from my confused stare. It reminded me of the night he'd rescued me and taken me to dinner in Port Angeles. He'd receded then, too.

I gnawed on my bottom lip, letting my hand fall back in my lap. The uncomfortable feeling had returned so quickly, and I hated that I'd hurt him so. Remembering the kiss I'd given away to Dominik, I bit down hard on my lip.

Alice flitted to us, the bags we'd brought home from the mall held by the crook of her elbow. "Edward, Esme needs you," she chirped.

He didn't hesitate, standing and walking away without a second glance at me.

My heart practically deflated, and I looked at the piano keys.

Alice sighed, offering me a hand. "Better, though, right?"

"Yeah." I took her proffered help and stood. "He's in a better bad mood."

She gave me a sad, but encouraging smile, and pulled me upstairs, whispering at a level Edward wouldn't be able to hear unless he was searching through her thoughts. "It'll be alright, Bella. If things go as I see them, everybody will be okay in a couple days."

I wondered if I would last that long.

Alice pushed me gently into my room and threw my dress and new underwear at me- nothing fancy, just satin matching bra and panties. This seemed to be the universal language for "Put these on." I stripped, unembarrassed in front of Alice, and pulled the garments on. The dress fit tightly at the bust, but then flared out, falling shorter than I'd predicted. The fabric was some sort of cotton blend, and it felt soft on my skin.

Alice stepped back and inspected me, tapping her chin with her finger. "Something's off." Looking me up and down, she circled the perimeter of the room. She paused when she got back in front of me and knelt at my feet. "Huh." She pulled at the hem. "This is uneven."

"Is it supposed to be like that?" I asked, trying to keep my arms out of the way as she pulled the fabric this way and that.

"No, I don't think so." Her forehead was furrowed when she stepped back.

"Well, maybe that's why it was on clearance," I suggested, remembering the bright orange sticker on the price tag.

"It was?"

I shook my head. "So, are we taking it back?"

"No." She took my hand and dragged me out of the room and down the stairs. "We'll have Esme fix it."

As I allowed myself to be pulled along, I noticed that this was strange for two reasons. First, it wasn't like Alice to buy something poorly made and then try and fix it instead of trading it in for a better piece. Secondly, I knew perfectly well that all of the Cullens could sew- actually, Emmett probably had never had a lesson, but he could most likely pick it up pretty easily. If something was wrong with the dress, why did she drag me to Esme's room instead of just fixing it herself?

When we walked past Emmett, there was a mocking gleam in his eye. I knew that if Rosalie wasn't curled under his arm, he'd be snickering and making lewd comments. Typical.

"Esme, we need your expertise," Alice said as she pushed open the door. "The hem of Bella's dress is uneven."

As always, when Edward was around, no matter what was happening around me, my eyes went straight to him. I locked gazes with him just in time to see his eyes blaze, his eyes like golden fire. As soon as he noticed that I saw, though, he jerked his face away, glaring at something to his extreme right. His expression was pure agony.

"Of course, Alice," Esme said, holding up a hand, as if to stop us. "But Edward and I were just talking, so could you give us just a minute?"

"Actually, Esme," Edward said, his tone polite but his jaw clenched, much like when he spoke with Ms. Cope, "I just remembered a matter I need to attend to." He crossed the room in just a few long strides, taking care not to get close to me when he left.

Esme sighed and put her hand on her forehead, closing her eyes. "This close," she muttered, holding up two fingers just a centimeter apart. "This. Close."

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"He's going to your meadow," Alice told me quickly. "But he'll run around first to clear his head. See if you can make it there before him."

"The dress?" I asked, fisting a handful of the soft and translucent fabric.

Alice's grin was blinding and mischievous. "What did you think it was for?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, but didn't say anything else as I backed out of the room and sprinted out of the house. The route he would take was easy to avoid- Edward was truly a creature of habit. I could probably track his steps all the way through town. My hair flying wildly behind me, I ran through the forest. It was strangely peaceful, despite the chaos I felt inside me. My breathing and footfalls remained the only sounds for miles.

I wish I could say that it had been a dreary morning, but the clouds were parting as I burst into the meadow, but they weren't. It was gray- almost unnaturally so- and light raindrops were spattering across my face. There were almost no similarities between now and the first time Edward brought me here. That almost felt like another lifetime.

I felt awkward as I stood alone in the center of the clearing. Thunder rumbled somewhere, and I could feel it deep within my chest. Trying to calm my nervous breathing, I lifted my face to the rain. It seemed to lack any temperature, and it smelled nice. My anxiety calmed just a bit- until I heard footfalls coming from the east.

My mind spun, and I suddenly regretted not coming up with anything to say. Taking a deep breath, I tilted my face back down and saw Edward emerging from the forest, stopping at the line of trees. His jaw was set, his eyes tight. Anger wasn't the expression I interpreted from his face, though. It was more defensive, more like he was ready to run at a moment's notice.

I took a slow step forward, and then another. He didn't move as I neared, watching me with reserve. "I'm sorry," I said, my voice wavering. A new look came into his eyes- one I couldn't name- and I continued. "The way I acted with Dominik was inexcusable. I should have done something else- anything else. Nothing is worth disrespecting you like I did." I swallowed, taking in a shaky breath. "It's okay if you're angry with me. I'm angry with myself. But I can't stand you not talking to me. Scream at me. Yell at me. But don't just-"

"Bella, be quiet." His words were soft and clipped. "You're being absolutely ridiculous."

My train of thought screeched to a stop. "What?" If he wasn't upset because I kissed Dominik, why was he avoiding me? "I don't understand."

"Why would I be upset with _you_?" His tone was almost condescending. "It's my own actions that disgust me. I completely _loathe_ myself for what I did to you."

"Well, don't!" _This_ was why he'd been avoiding me? "I forgave you already."

"It's physically impossible for you to hold a grudge, Bella," He sighed, frustrated, fisting his hands and crossing his arms. "Even when you should."

"You _want _ me to hate you?" His words weren't making any sense.

His lips parted, as if to speak, but then snapped shut. Silent, he stared intensely at me, as if to translate his feelings without words.

My mind whirled. Why would he want me to be angry with him? To be sure, Edward was prone to overreaction and a "monster" mentality. But why would he want such tension between us? Did he want _me _to avoid _him_? Did he want me to...

Realization hit me, like a fist in my gut. My lungs closed off as I accused him. "You want to leave me."

The only sound was of his teeth grinding together, and that answer was enough to confirm my fears. I watched with disbelief as he held my gaze, rain dripping from his hair and face. Drops like tears trickled across his cheekbones and poured down his jawline. He was pressing his lips tightly together, ignoring the rain that pooled in the bow of his upper lip.

This scene was too familiar. There was a gnawing at my center, a tiny voice in my head laughing and saying, _You knew he'd leave again! What made you think you were _ever_ worth staying for? _My diamond-hard body suddenly threatened to give out on me.

"You don't want me?" I breathed, my voice abnormally steady.

He blinked with surprise, dropping his arms. With understanding, his expression blackened. "Of course I want you, Bella. Don't be absurd." There was a harshness in his voice that cut at me. "But I'm not good for you. Atlanta made me realize that." The relief I felt did no good when it was juxtaposed with frustration and helplessness. Edward took a step forward, his face just inches from mine and said, "I would have hurt you, Bella, if you hadn't stopped me. Not _could_ have. _Would_ have." He looked fierce. Like a vampire. "I would have hurt you, and I would have liked it. _That's _why I should leave."

In an act of desperation- but also self-preservation- I pulled his face to mine and kissed him hard.

When he realized what was happening, he gently, but firmly pushed me away. "No. You don't have to do that because you think it'll make me stay. I've already promised to stay until you don't want me."

"Edward if you even _try _to go, I'll follow," I told him, my voice low. The rain was coming down harder now, plastering my hair to my face. "Don't think I'll stay behind this time."

Lightning flashed, like an omen, and it lit up the sky. It was exceptionally dark for mid-morning, but my exceptional vision wasn't dimmed in the slightest. "Bella..." he began, his voice bleak.

I didn't give him the chance to finish, crushing my body to his and capturing his mouth with mine. When he tried to push me away, I knotted my fingers in his hair and held him tight. "You're not going anywhere," I snarled, molding my body to his. "You're _mine_."

"Bella, stop," his breathed, his voice low and husky.

I pushed him roughly against a thick tree, the rain in the leaves drenching us. My hands made quick work of the buttons on his shirt, despite his attempts to bat them away. Since it was wet, it stuck to his skin, and I could only push it past his shoulders. That was enough though, and I smoothed my hands over the planes of his torso, raking my nails down his stomach.

Edward paused in his struggling and shuddered.

"Does this make us even?" I purred in his ear.

His hands were floating just a few inches above my hips, as if he didn't want to give in. "No," he replied, but his voice was almost unsure.

"Edward," I sighed, nibbling at his neck. My finger hooked itself in the waistband of his jeans, teasing mercilessly. "I've forgiven you. And if I have to test how much abuse this poor tree can take to prove it to you, I will."

His laugh was short, without humor. "Two wrongs don't make a right," he teased half-heartedly.

"Then what will make it right?" I asked, snaking my leg around his. "And leaving is not an option."

"I won't leave if you don't want me to, Bella, but- mmm-" I bit his shoulder, exactly where he'd bitten me. "But I almost hurt you."

Thunder crackled.

"I don't think so. I'm a big girl now." I molded my body to his to emphasize my point. "If you were really trying to hurt me, I could have stopped you. You would never _want _me hurt."

My body registered his hands on my hips, and I grinned against his throat. "Bella..." he murmured. "You're making it increasingly difficult to remember my argument."

"Forgive and forget," I whispered, pulling his arms tighter around me. It seemed that he was allowing himself to be convinced.

It took a moment, but then I felt his hands pressing against my waist and back. The rain made my dress cling to my skin, and my hair was dripping. But it was really impossible to worry about that when Edward's lips were so adamantly demanding my attention. The rain didn't blunt his scent or his taste at all. If anything, these kisses were sweeter than any I'd received from him in a long time.

Electricity sparked between us, hitching my breathing and sending shivers down my spine. His lips moved to my throat, tracing the spot where blood once pulsed. It held the same effect to this day, and I bit my lip against a moan. My arms wrapped themselves around his neck, my fingers threading through his wet hair.

"This dress," he began huskily, slowly unbuttoning the back. "It's new."

"Thank Alice," I told him, crushing myself against him.

Edward chuckled, his voice low. "Apparently, I have a lot of things to thank Alice for."

Closing my eyes against his intoxicating touches, I inhaled deeply, enjoying the feeling of truly breathing for the first time in almost two weeks. Of course, the suspicion that he hadn't completely given up didn't totally disappear, but he talking and joking with me, and that was all I had wanted. He wouldn't leave, he swore, and for now, Dominik was gone.

I had Edward all to myself. I knew he had far too much control for a teenage boy, even if his mind was technically a century old, and that he wouldn't let himself go as far as I knew he wished he could. But for now, I had all I wanted in my arms, and I didn't plan on letting it go for anything.


End file.
